Minnesota County to Expand Broadband With Pandemic Funds

Kandiyohi County (MN), as part of the federal American Rescue Plan coronavirus relief package, will receive approximately $8.3 million over the next year and is already committing $1.3 million to a project expanding high-speed broadband in the area. The Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners will spend a large chunk of the county’s overall allotment, perhaps as much as 75 percent, to help fund several broadband improvement projects across the county. The funds can be used to pay for a wide range of projects, programs and personnel as long as it can be tied back to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes critical broadband infrastructure investments that can provide 1,000 megabits per second upload and download speeds. A number of other projects relating to broadband infrastructure are also in progress according to the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission broadband committee.