USDA pumping $22 million into rural high-speed internet access in Minnesota

HOUSTON COUNTY (WKBT) — $22 million will go to expanding high-speed internet access in rural Minnesota, the USDA announced Wednesday.

The investment comes from a total of $64 billion made available from the federal government. As part of Wednesday’s announced funding, Spring Grove Communications will use an $11.4 million loan/grant combo to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will connect 983 people, 42 businesses, and 122 farms to high-speed internet in Houston County, Minnesota and Allamakee and Winneshiek counties in Iowa.

To be eligible, an applicant must serve an area where high-speed internet service speeds are lower than 100 megabits per second (Mbps) (download) and 20 Mbps (upload). The applicant must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed internet service at speeds of 100 Mbps (download and upload) to every location in its proposed service area.

For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/mn.

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