White Earth Reservation
| Year | Rank | 100/20 Mbps |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #1 of 11 | 100% |
| 2021 | #5 of 11 | 89.96% |
| 2019 | #9 of 11 | 13.57% |
Former Blandin Broadband Community, White Earth Reservation has made the last push to get ubiquitous broadband coverage. In 2017, Garden Valley received a $1.3 million loan from a MN Border to Border Broadband grant to serve Mahnomen County, including portions of White Earth Reservation. In November, 2019, AT&T announced the installation of a FirstNet (Public Safety) cell site near the Reservation. The site was built to help improve coverage along the eastern edge of the White Earth Reservation.
In August 2021, White Earth got a grant to provide a combination of broadband and fiber infrastructure, and fund other services that will help students connect to internet resources and thrive in remote learning environments.
In May 2023, awarded $500,000 as part of NTIA’s Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) mostly for community equipment and training.
In August 2021, Enbridge Energy donated $366,000 to the Waubun-Ogema-White Earth Community Schools to subsidize internet access for low income families.
Household Density
.05
Has Worked with Blandin Foundation
No
Has Received MN Grant(s)
Yes
Garden Valley Telephone Company – Bejou – GRANT $1,304,421
This last mile project will serve 214 unserved households, 17 unserved businesses, and 7 unserved community anchor institutions in Bejou and surrounding rural areas within Mahnomen County, including portions of the White Earth Reservation in northwestern Minnesota. In a funding partnership with the State of Minnesota, Garden Valley Telephone will improve broadband service levels to 1 Gbps down and 1 Gbps up, exceeding the 2026 state speed goal. Bejou and White Earth leaders agree that the area is in desperate need of fast reliable Internet service to help the area progress, especially as technology continues to advance around them.
Government Districts
U.S. Congress: CD 7, CD 8
MN Senate: 02
MN House: 02B