Wright County
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #50 of 87 | 84.5% |
| 2023 | #65 of 87 | 75.43% |
| 2022 | #49 of 87 | 78.02% |
| 2021 | #31 of 87 | 86.15% |
| 2020 | #32 of 87 | 82.51% |
| 2019 | #33 of 87 | 81.02% |
| 2018 | #21 of 87 | 80.61% |
| 2017 | #65 of 87 | 29.26% |
Red dots represent unserved locations.
Wired (wireline) and wireless (fixed, non-mobile) served location percentage at various speeds.
Wright County: Still Stalled at 80 Percent Coverage
Wright County ranks 65 (up 15 places) for broadband access out of 87 counties. After a few years of stalling and inconsistent mapping, Wright saw a nice increase in access likely due to several MN State broadband grants in 2023. They are in line to benefit from another $1 million MN State grant in the near future. I have upgraded their ranking to green.
- Over the years, Wright County (or cities within) has invested $703,900 (total) for matches for 3 successful MN Broadband grants. This is an indicator of local government that is engaged and (literally) invested in better, local broadband.
- Wright County will benefit from a 2024 almost $1 million MN Broadband grant (Round 10) award that will serve 300 locations.
- Wright County will not benefit from any line extension awards.
- Last years’ estimates indicated that it would cost $19.5 million to get ubiquitous broadband in the county. (I haven’t updated the number because recent report offers scenarios of costs based on BEAD funding rules that make current estimates less predictable than in the past. Yet, I think the number is still helpful.)
- In 2022, Wright ranked 10 using Microsoft’s Digital Equity Tool, which looks at various factors of a community.
- In 2023, Last year’s report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance looked at broadband in Monticello and Buffalo in Wright County.
Household Density
72.4
Number of Providers
27
As of 2023 · Source: MN DEED
Households with Device Access
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
statewide
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
Yes
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
2024:
- County: Wright
Representative Dawn Gillman, Senator Glenn Gruenhagen
Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Cokato Township
Grant: $945,133
Local Match: $1,155,163
Total Budget: $2,100,296
The Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association Cokato Township project will provide fiber-to-the-premise broadband access to rural sites in Cokato Township in Wright County, excluding the area within the city limits of the town of Cokato Minnesota. This project will improve unserved/underserved levels of service up to 1 gigabit per second download and upload speeds resulting in more efficient and effective e-learning, telemedicine options and enhanced precision agriculture tools to 300 locations, including 189 unserved and 111 underserved addresses.
2023 – Frontier – Wright County – City of Clearwater – GRANT $829,800
2023 – Arvig (Tekstar) – Wright County Area Fiber Extension – GRANT $879,747
2023 – Meeker Coop Light & Power – French Lake Township – Wright County – GRANT $1,270,132
2022 – Spectrum Mid-America, LLC managed by Charter Communications Inc., $2,832,155.00 (Learn more)
2022 – Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association (Vibrant Broadband) – Collinwood Lake – GRANT $104,337
Spectrum Mid-America, LLC managed by Charter Communications Inc. – Wright County Project 4 – GRANT $1,008,146
2017 – Midco (Midcontinent Communications) – Annandale East – GRANT $537,050
Meeker Coop. Light & Power Assoc. (Vibrant Broadband) – Lake Louisa/Lake Marie Project – GRANT $297,940
There is a matrix of Minnesota broadband adoption projects.
Government Districts
U.S. Congress: CD 6
MN Senate: 17, 29, 30, 34
MN House: 17A, 29A, 29B, 30A, 30B, 34A