Walz announces 30 new grants for broadband projects

Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz announced the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is awarding more than $23 million in broadband development grants to 30 projects across the state.

The projects will help bring high-quality broadband access to underserved and unserved parts of the state.

"Fast, reliable broadband access is a critical economic development tool that improves quality of life and makes businesses in Greater Minnesota more competitive," Walz said. "These grants help us get closer to our goal to ensure that every Minnesotan has high-speed internet access by 2022."

During last year's legislative session, Walz signed a law authorizing $40 million in one-time funds for broadband development in 2020 and 2021, mainly targeting communities in Greater Minnesota where broadband infrastructure is lacking.

The governor's office said the grants program, so far, has provided broadband access to a total of 49,900 since 2014.

You can see the list of awarded grants here.