Ten MREA member districts received grant funding to expand wireless Internet access in their communities. These grants will allow districts to help students access the Internet at home and on long bus rides. Over 30 districts applied for the available $500,000 in funding.
The grant requests highlights the need and importance of bringing high speed internet to rural Minnesota. Learn more
This broadband program provided 42 rural communities and telcom providers with total of $34 million in grant funding to expand high-speed internet access to 16,627 households, 2,240 businesses, and 71 community institutions in Greater Minnesota. These grants are matched by an additional $40 million in private and local funding to bring high speed internet to Greater Minnesota. Learn more
MREA supported these efforts in the 2015-16 biennium and continues to support expanding broadband development grants to unserved and underserved rural communities in the 2017 Legislative Platform.
The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband identified a $900 million need for broadband expansion in its 2016 report.
