BRAINERD, Minn., Dec. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director for Minnesota Colleen Landkamer today announced more than $44 million in funding to connect rural Minnesota residents, farmers and business owners to reliable high-speed internet.
Projects are being financed by the fifth round of the ReConnect Program and are a central part of rebuilding the economy.
“Keeping the people of rural Minnesota connected with good, reliable high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of our state and creates good-paying jobs,” State Director Landkamer said. “Through these ReConnect investments, we are connecting the most rural and remote communities to a global marketplace and bringing new opportunities within reach.”
USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke made today’s announcement during a visit to Consolidated Telephone Company in Brainerd, Minnesota, which is receiving a $5,510,933 million loan and a $5,510,933 grant to connect 2,831 people, 67 businesses and 78 farms in Crow Wing and Morrison counties.
In additional to Consolidated Telephone Company, Minnesota’s awards include:
- MiEnergy Cooperative is receiving a $14.1 million loan and a $14.1 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 2,255 people, 55 businesses, and 235 farms in Fillmore and Winona counties in Minnesota.
- Red River Rural Telephone Association is receiving a $5.2 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet. This network will benefit 482 people, 17 businesses, 55 farms and one educational facility in Clay County in Minnesota.
The ReConnect Program is specifically designed to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are in the most rural, remote and unserved communities. Many residents and businesses in rural areas would not have high-speed internet service without the ReConnect Program.
Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested approximately $4.4 billion for 360 ReConnect awards that will bring high-speed internet access to more than 680,000 people in the most rural and remote areas of America. More than $2.2 billion of this funding, which will benefit an estimated 341,000 people, was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available online.
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