The Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition is an organization dedicated to bringing broadband to every household in Minnesota. They are constantly at the state capitol, advocating for funding to bring good internet connection to every home in the state. But they need help from Sherburne County residents. They have a tool available to measure the internet connection in residences across the county. Residents can access this tool at MNRuralBroadbandCoalition.com/speedtest. 

Why It’s Important to Take the Test

Nathan Zacharias, project manager for the Minnesota Rural Broadband Coalition, urges everyone to take the speedtest, for a few important reasons. The test provides the coalition with data they can use as they continue to advocate for funding to provide broadband to homes across the state. Grants are more likely to be given to applicants who back their case with hard data. The map also provides leadership with an accurate map of where there is and is not broadband coverage in their districts. It also allows them to determine if data provided by internet providers is accurate. 

Finally, residents can see what their neighbors’ connection looks like, and compare it to their own. Zacharias noted one example where one man, upon seeing the superior connection of all his neighbors, called the coalition to ask why he had such a poor connection in comparison. The coalition was able to direct him to another internet provider he didn’t know serviced his area, and his connection drastically improved.

“There are so many different players out there,” said Raeanne Danielowski, Sherburne County Commissioner. “So often people don’t know all the providers in the area.”

Different Types of Connection

Zacharias notes that it is very important to take the test regardless of what sort of broadband connection a person might already have. They are as interested to see those who have an excellent connection as those who have a poor connection. For residents who have no connection, he encourages them to visit a local restaurant or library and take the test from there, entering their home address and noting that there is no internet connection at all at that location. Residents can also use their mobile devices to take the test, if they have an internet connection that way.

Data Usage

The coalition uses the data to advocate for grants to provide broadband access to all Minnesotans, but they do not collect or sell personal information. But, for those who are concerned about entering an address, there is an option to enter a partial address. An updated version of the map is available for anyone to view at MNRuralBroadbandCoalition.com/speedtest. 

Internet Access

A good internet connection has become as important to doing business as having a phone, according to the coalition. The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely highlighted the need, but it existed before the pandemic, as well. The internet allows citizens to do business from wherever they want to live, where before they would have to live in a large city to have any success in opening a shop or working for a large company. Now, entrepreneurs can use the internet to reach a wide audience of customers while living where they like, and office workers can do just as much at home as they can in an office building, provided they have a strong internet connection, that is. 

Working with Government

Since many internet providers share infrastructure, the biggest barrier to providing internet connection in rural areas is putting the equipment into the ground. That’s why the coalition is working with local governments to use grant money towards the purchase and installation of this equipment.

“The state has put into statute that every home and business should be connected to 25mbps download and 3mbps upload by the end of next year.,” said Zacharias. “Eight percent of Minnesota is not connected at that level. That number jumps to 17% for rural Minnesota.”

Danielowski recalled a memory where she saw a teenage boy sitting outside the public library after hours, trying to get his homework done before he went home. She said her goal is that “No one should ever have to sit in the dark to get basic internet connection needed for work and school anymore.”

For further information about the coalition and about Sherburne County’s participation in collecting this information, contact Dan Weber, Assistant County Administrator, at Dan.Weber@co.Sherburne.mn.us.