Individuals who primarily Reside in a Rural Area

Minnesota is poised for an unprecedented windfall of money to help build high-speed internet in rural areas; estimating $550 million in extra cash. This will bring Minnesota up to $650 million for broadband from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The final amount Minnesota will get won’t be known until later, and it’s dependent on maps of areas without access to broadband that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) needs to update. In addition, Minnesota must submit a plan for how it would use the money over a five-year period.

With the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program's (BEAD) $42 billion to expand high-speed internet access across the country, Lehigh County officials will audit municipalities to assess the state of residents’ internet access and report the county’s needs to the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority.