Funding has come through for an expansion of broadband service to certain rural areas of Koochiching County.
The state’s providing a total of $2.6 million to Bemidji-based Paul Bunyan Communications for the project in partnership with the Koochiching Technology Initiative.
Some of the money will also go toward similar projects in nearby Cass, Itasca and St. Louis Counties.
KTI member Jim Yount says the funding for the Koochiching project will be applied to specific areas of work.
That’s broadband for Pelland Junction to Ericsburg. A separate proposal was approved for the Kabetogama area,” says Yount.
The service, once in place, will give users upload and download speeds of 1 gigabit per second.
The state wants universal access and high-speed internet in place by no later than 2022.
House rep. Rob Ecklund says it’s critical to the area.
This is the new economy, broadband Internet access. That’s how, hopefully, will keep our people home and bring people back (to their home communities),” says Ecklund.
Ecklund is also hoping the state will make more funding available for other areas considered underserviced.
He’s authoring a new bill to be discussed during this coming legislative session calling for $30-million to be available.
