Paul Bunyan Communications has been awarded a $5.5 million State of Minnesota Border-to-Border Broadband low-density pilot grant to serve areas of Angora, Alango, Balkan, Beatty, and Owens Townships in St Louis County. The pink areas of the map are all the areas included in this grant.
The Low-Population Density Program will fund up to 75% of eligible project costs to help providers build out broadband infrastructure in some of the more remote or costly-to-serve areas of the state with the cooperative investing the remainder to expand its all-fiber optic network to these areas. This project is estimated to cost $7,526,055, with the State of Minnesota’s Low-Population Density Program grant contributing $5,569,28, Paul Bunyan Communications investing $1,881,513, Angora Township $33,104, and Balkan Township $42,157.
The Angora, Alango, Beatty, and Owens Township areas are primarily between Cook and Britt along US Highway 53.
The Balkan Township project will reach nearly every home in Balkan Township which is north of Chisholm. It also includes several locations in the unorganized township west of Balkan-north, including those around Dewey and McCormack Lakes.
Paul Bunyan Communications expects to develop the expansion plans over the next 1-2 years and will contact locations along the upcoming expansion routes once those plans are finalized. The project will be completed by the end of 2025.