The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sending more than $44 million in grants to Minnesota to help people in rural communities access high-speed broadband.
The funding, which Sen. Tina Smith helped secure through her work on the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, is expected to give more than 5,000 Minnesotans, especially in rural areas, high-speed broadband access across the state. It's also projected to help at least 139 businesses and 368 farms, Smith's office said.
The latest investment comes when as many as 136,000 homes and businesses across Minnesota are said to lack high-speed broadband access.
