Dakota County seeks state grant for rural broadband

Limited high-speed internet in rural Dakota County has created a digital divide that officials are hoping to bridge with a $1.9 million project, installing fiber optic cable in tiny townships on the county's southern edge.

Dakota County is partnering with Hiawatha Broadband Communications and Dakota Electric Association to build a fiber optic "backbone" south of Hastings — the final step in a yearslong effort to provide broadband countywide.

To help fund the project, Dakota County is seeking $912,000 from the state's Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program, a $35 million pool that funds the expansion of broadband service across Minnesota. In previous years, most of the grant money has gone to outstate projects.

"There's been somewhat of a disadvantage in the metro area, because there's an assumption that ... you're going to have very good, high-quality service," said Commissioner Mike Slavik, who represents rural Dakota County. "There are sections of southern Dakota County that are actually in a worse service level than many parts of greater Minnesota," Slavik said.

Two years ago, Dakota County applied unsuccessfully for the state grant. Officials hope that the partnerships with Hiawatha Broadband and Dakota Electric — something they didn't have last time — will boost their chances.

The lack of broadband in rural areas is a national challenge. In 2015, 67 percent of respondents to a Pew Research survey reported having broadband at home. Among rural residents, that number was only 55 percent.

Internet access has become increasingly important. Nearly 70 percent of respondents to the Pew survey said not having broadband at home is a major disadvantage in accessing information, compared to less than 60 percent in 2010.

In Dakota County, FCC data show, more than 8,000 rural residents lack broadband service. Access is primarily available on the county's northern side — home to cities such as Eagan, Burnsville, Inver Grove Heights and West St. Paul. Connectivity diminishes farther south in Lakeville, Farmington and the rural townships, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

Part of the challenge is that internet service providers often aren't interested in expanding their networks to sparsely populated areas.

"Homes are spread out so much, it costs so much more money to connect them up," said David Asp, who has the unwieldy title of county network collaboration engineer. "Return on a company's investment takes decades in some cases," Asp said.

Residents and businesses are feeling the pinch.

Dan Cater, the county's information technology director, is a decadelong Hastings school board member and said he hears from rural families whose children can't do their homework because they can't stream online videos at home.

Slavik said complaints about inadequate internet access are one of the top calls he gets from constituents. One resident, who runs a business from his home, pays over $1,000 a month for service, Slavik said.

"You're either going to get very slow [internet] or you're going to pay quite a lot of money," he said. "And that's not the norm when you get into other parts of the county."

Emma Nelson • 612-673-4509