The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced the first round of Border-to-Border broadband improvement grants for under-served communities in Minnesota, and three of those grants will be helping communities in Wright County.
Wright County has earmarked a considerable portion of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) allocation to assist un-served and under-served communities with access to high-speed internet.
The three projects that were approved were a Charter/Spectrum project for the City of Delano and Chatham, Franklin, Marysville, Rockford and Woodland Townships, a Charter/Spectrum project for the City of St. Michael and Rockford Township, and a Meeker Co-op project in the Lake Collinwood area.
Wright County pledged approximately $320,000 in local match funds to strengthen the applications. Prior to the Border-to-Border grants being announced, Wright County has committed $1.925 million in ARP funds for broadband projects that have impacted some 16-hundred households in the county.
DEED is currently planning a second round of project funding before the end of the year.
To see the full list projects and where in the state they were awarded, click here: https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/grant-program/.
To see projects previously funded in Wright County, click here: https://www.co.wright.mn.us/1017/Broadband-Committee
(content: courtesy John Holler – Wright County)