TDS Goes 50/50 with State to Expand Minnesota Rural Broadband

TDS Telecom (TDS) announced it would receive $3 million in Minnesota Dept of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) funds and invest another $3 million to expand and improve rural broadband services in parts of Crow Wing and Cass Counties. Elaborating, TDS said it would expand broadband service and high-speed wireless Internet access to serve more than 3,400 unserved households and a variety of local organizations.

Included among the latter are more than 60 businesses, 142 small enterprises, and a number of community “anchor” institutions. The project will impact residents and businesses in parts of Backus, Hackensack, Ideal Corners, Pequot Lakes, Pine River, and Woman Lake, according to a TDS press release. DEED is part and parcel of Minnesota’s effort to bridge the urban-rural digital divide. DEED announced it would invest a total of $34 million to fund 42 broadband infrastructure projects in rural areas across the state.