Preston, Minn. (11 a.m. August 27, 2024) MiBroadband announced the start of construction on four rural fiber projects in Fillmore County at a groundbreaking ceremony August 27 at its Preston office.
In 2022 and 2023, MiBroadband was the recipient of $5.15 million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Border-to-Border Program. These grants are now helping build out fiber service to areas north of Fountain and Preston and pockets of two rural areas in southern rural Preston.
MiBroadband is also breaking ground on a self-funded $1.5 million project to bring fiber to the city of Fountain.
In total, the areas will cover 781 locations and provide internet speeds of 1 Gbps download and 1 Gbps upload on a fiber network, which is the fastest and most reliable service available.
The ceremony marked a significant milestone in MiBroadband’s ongoing commitment to bring high-speed internet access to underserved rural communities.
Funding from Border-to-Border funding is crucial in enabling MiBroadband to extend its fiber-optic network into rural areas, ensuring that residents and businesses have access to the fast, reliable internet they need to thrive. The new fiber infrastructure ensures rural communities have access to reliable, high-speed internet, opening doors to new opportunities in education, healthcare and economic development.
With the support of local partners and stakeholders, the fiber installations are expected to be completed in 2025.
“We’re excited to kick off these projects and bring the benefits of modern connectivity to North Preston, rural Preston and North Fountain,” said Jill Huffman, MiBroadband CEO. “Thanks to the support from the Border-to-Border Broadband Program, we’re able to bridge the digital divide in these areas and ensure no one is left behind in the digital age.”
The projects are part of MiBroadband’s initiative to expand fiber networks across rural regions of Southeast Minnesota and Northeast Iowa.
Information about MiBroadband’s rural fiber projects and future plans can be found online at www.mibroadband.com/internet/ or by calling 507-886-6422.
