Our View: Minnesota Broadband Efforts Lag Behind

Minnesota’s Broadband Battle: Why Rural Communities Are Still Waiting for High-Speed Internet

Meta Description: Minnesota ranks 7th slowest for internet speeds despite massive funding. Explore why 229,000 locations lack broadband and how new laws could accelerate access.

The Stark Reality: Minnesota’s Internet Lag

Minnesota’s broadband crisis hits hardest in rural areas, where 229,000 homes and businesses lack high-speed internet. Recent data reveals:

• Average download speeds of 164.68 Mbps (vs. U.S. average of 214 Mbps)
• Ranking: 7th slowest nationwide
• Reliability drops 67% outside Twin Cities metro

“Internet access is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for remote work, education, and healthcare,” states Sage Singleton of HighSpeedInternet.com. Yet Minnesota’s progress crawls at turtle-like speeds despite bipartisan efforts.

The Funding Paradox: $800M Spent, Gaps Remain

A landmark study exposes critical flaws in Minnesota’s approach:

Shocking finding: Projects covered by prevailing wages delivered better value and local jobs, yet Minnesota exempted most broadband builds from these standards.

Legislative Momentum: Bipartisan But Slow

Federal Action

• Rural Broadband Protection Act (Klobuchar/Capito):
  • Stricter vetting of internet providers receiving federal funds
  • Addresses “ghost networks” that take money but don’t deliver
• Universal Service Fund expansions: Connecting rural schools and clinics

State-Level Stumbles

Despite proposed solutions in 2024, Minnesota failed to pass:

• $100M for Border-to-Border Broadband Program
• Low-income affordability requirements for ISPs
• Equal Access to Broadband Act enabling municipal franchising

“Rural communities are constantly told: Wait your turn, you don’t have the density. This can’t continue.”
– State Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown)

Breaking Barriers: The Municipal Broadband Revolution

May 2024 marked a turning point when Minnesota repealed century-old preemption laws that blocked towns from building their own networks. Key changes:

• Municipalities can now operate broadband without private provider vetoes
• No more supermajority vote requirements for public networks
• Fair access to public rights-of-way and utility poles

Impact: 16 states now restrict municipal broadband—down from 19 in 2020. “This lets communities solve connectivity their way,” says broadband expert Christopher Mitchell.

The Path Forward: 4 Strategies for Acceleration

1. Close the Wage Gap
   • Apply prevailing wage standards to all broadband projects
   • Boost local hiring: Road projects use 87% more Minnesota contractors
2. Transparency Overhaul
   • Mandate certified payroll reporting for grant recipients
   • Public dashboards tracking project timelines and costs
3. Leverage New Municipal Powers
   • Rural co-ops partnering with towns like Winthrop (pop. 1,398)
   • Fiber networks modeled after successful Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency
4. Targeted Federal Funding
   • Prioritize grants to projects with:
     • Local hiring commitments
     • Affordable tier pricing
     • Tribal nation partnerships

FAQ: Minnesota’s Broadband Challenges

Why does Minnesota lag despite years of effort?
A perfect storm: Complex terrain, provider monopolies, and exemptions that inflated costs and slowed rollout. Rural areas lack tax bases to attract private investment.

What’s the Rural Broadband Protection Act’s real impact?
Prevents “overbuilding” scams where providers claim service exists but doesn’t. Requires proof of capability before funding.

Can municipal broadband solve this?
Yes—in places like RS Fiber Cooperative (10 rural counties), locally-owned networks deliver 1Gbps where Comcast ignored requests.

Where are the worst-connected areas?
Northeast Iron Range and remote Ojibwe reservations, where satellite is often the only option.

The Bottom Line: Connectivity Can’t Wait

Minnesota’s broadband gap isn’t just about streaming videos—it’s economic survival. With remote healthcare expanding and 43% of jobs requiring digital skills, delayed access = denied opportunity.

3 Immediate Actions Needed:

1. Fix Funding Flaws: Redirect subsidies to projects with wage standards and local hires
2. Empower Communities: Support tribal and municipal network startups
3. Demand Accountability: Real-time tracking of every taxpayer dollar spent

“Broadband isn’t infrastructure—it’s a lifeline for education, jobs, and dignity. Minnesota’s rural families have waited long enough.”
– Editorial Board, Duluth News Tribune