Businesses get state grant funding for broadband expansion

Several businesses are the recipients of state grant funding to expand broadband to thousands of homes and businesses throughout the state.

The $53 million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development will fund 24 expansion projects statewide.  DEED will open another $50 million grant round later this month.

Providers plan to use the grant funding to expand high-speed broadband in 25 counties.

Border-to-Border grantees:

Easton Telephone Company will receive $435,838 for projects in Blue Earth & Faribault counties.

Hanson Communications will get $395, 138 for projects in Brown & Cottonwood counties, plus more than $2 million for expansion in Renville & Chippewa counties.

In Waseca, Bevcomm Inc will receive a $4,385,444 Low Population Density grant.

Nuvera, which is based in New Ulm, was granted $1,884,429 for expansion in Goodhue County

DEED will also manage $652 million in federal funding (Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding) to expand broadband to the most underserved Minnesota communities.