Skip to Main Content
This is the staging/test copy of our website. Visit our live website at BlandinFoundation.org.

Chippewa County

Table of goal data by year
Year Rank 100/20 Mbps
2023 #44 of 87 84.52%
2022 #43 of 87 80.55%
2021 #37 of 87 82.67%
2020 #29 of 87 83.55%
2019 #31 of 87 81.7%
2018 #77 of 87 24.8%
2017 #69 of 87 24.45%

Chippewa County: Stagnant Access Just Over 80 Percent

Chippewa County ranks 44 (dropping one place) for broadband access out of 87 counties. Chippewa County’s percent coverage to broadband of 100 Mbps down and 20 up is 84.52). They have 728 households without access to broadband at that speed. Estimates indicate that it will cost $6.8 million to get to ubiquitous broadband in the county.

Chippewa County saw improvement in coverage this year, even if they dropped ranking. In December 2022, Farmers Mutual received $4.7 million to service to 636 unique locations across 10 townships in rural portions of Chippewa County. Hanson Communications has applied for the most recent round of Border to Border grants (awards should be made early 2024); if they get funding that will certainly help reach their goal.

Chippewa County is in a potentially precarious position because looking at access in Chippewa County using the FCC National Map there is a big discrepancy between wireline access (76.09 percent coverage) and wireline with fixed wireless (98.3 percent). Minnesota doesn’t currently take fixed wireless into consideration when defining areas eligible for grants; the federal government does include access to fixed wireless. That could make a big difference to who is eligible for BEAD funding.

Chippewa County retains their yellow ranking because it seems like efforts are being made to improve broadband but it still needs to happen.

Household Density

8.0

Number of Providers

17

As of 2023 · Source: MN DEED

Households with Device Access

A Device 83.7% 95.5%
statewide
Desktop or Laptop 69.9% 83.2%
statewide
Smartphone 66.7% 90.1%
statewide
Tablet 49.2% 65.8%
statewide
Other 2.6% 2.3%
statewide

Has Worked with Blandin Foundation

Yes

There is a matrix of Minnesota broadband adoption projects; it includes projects from this area.

Has Received MN Grant(s)

Yes

2015 – MVTV Wireless Middle Mile, Grant award: $808,080

2022 – Farmers Mutual Telephone Company, $4,728,186.00

Government Districts

U.S. Congress: CD 7

MN Senate: 15, 16

MN House: 15A, 16A

Find Your Representatives

Overlapping MN Reservations

Upper Sioux Community

arrow icon pointing up Back to Top