ST. PAUL – Rep. Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, issued the following statement regarding Tuesday’s announcement from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development of 39 broadband grants totaling more than $26 million to bring broadband access to unserved and underserved parts of the state. Some grants leveraged funding from the Connect America Funding from the federal government, helping stretch funding from the state.
According to a press release from DEED, the Big Sandy Lake Area in Aitkin County will receive $148,503 to bring access to 374 unserved households. The grant is being matched by private funding.
“This is good news for the people near Big Sandy,” Lueck said. “Congratulations to those who put together a successful grant request. The Legislature made this funding available and I look forward to seeing workers on the ground making things happen so we can eliminate another patch in our region where people have not been able to enjoy the same reliable internet service others have come to expect.”
The Republican-led Legislature approved $20 million in grants for the Border-to-Border Broadband program during the 2017 legislative session.
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