The Office of Broadband Development recently announced that four broadband infrastructure projects in Senate District 9 will receive a total of $7.45 million in grants through the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program. These local projects will improve unserved levels to 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload, exceeding Minnesota’s 2026 state speed goal.

This program, which was created in 2014, funds the expansion of broadband service to areas of our state that are unserved or underserved. In the latest round of funding, 30 projects will be funded with a combination of both state general fund revenues and federal dollars. 

“From education to healthcare, access to a high-quality broadband connection has been increasingly important,” Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) said. “Broadband expansion is vital to our rural communities, and I am pleased to see strong investments made in this area. This new local funding will ensure more households, farms and businesses have better access to the internet service they need.”

In Senate District 9, the Gardonville Cooperative Telephone will receive an $857,013 grant to expand broadband service to 214 households, home-based businesses and telecommuters in the Alexandria area. 

Additionally, Otter Tail Telcom will receive a $2,331,792 grant through the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program. This project will serve a total of 506 households, businesses, farms, and community anchor institutions in the South Battle Lake area. 

The Red River Rural Telephone Association will also receive a $2,227,363 million grant for its North Wilkin County project. This broadband expansion project will serve 128 locations near Breckenridge and Foxhome. Further, the Red River Rural Telephone Association will receive a $2,035,500 grant for its Rural Campbell project. This funding will upgrade approximately 86 unserved locations near the rural Doran and Campbell areas of Wilkin County.

“In today’s increasingly digital age, providing broadband service to all Minnesotans is critical. The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program is a useful resource that helps improve broadband access across the state. Congratulations to the local internet service providers and partners on their work to securing these grants,” Senator Rasmusson concluded.