On November 21, 2017, AcenTek, the voice, video and internet provider out of Houston, Minn., was awarded more than $2 million in grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to extend fiber broadband access to Rushford Village and the rural Rushford area. This DEED Boarder to Boarder Broadband Grant application was successfully authored by CEDA team members Megan DeRouchey and Cris Gastner.
The total amount awarded was $2,011,628. Last year, CEDA partnered with AcenTek and was awarded $1.78 million to bring fiber-optic cable to the Lanesboro area. To-date, this $2 million-dollar grant has been the largest grant written by CEDA.
The Rushford Village/rural Rushford project was the second largest grant awarded by the State in 2017 to improve broadband services. AcenTek’s project is a great example of a public-private partnership – the State of Minnesota is contributing $2,011,628, Fillmore County is providing a 0% interest loan in the amount of $75,000, and AcenTek is picking up the remaining $3 million through private investment, for a total project investment of $5.2 million. The project is expected to be completed by mid-2019.
Also relevantly, this extension of fiber broadband will serve 557 unserved and underserved homes and businesses in the Rushford Village/rural Rushford exchange in Fillmore County. With fiber optic cable installation, rural Rushford will see many advancements in medicine, education, and agriculture. These three industries impact nearly every home in rural Rushford and Rushford Village.