Arvig Brings Connectivity to Minnesota Counties

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2026 – Arvig, a Minnesota-based telecommunications provider, has begun construction on an upgrade project this spring. The project will bring last-mile fiber connectivity to 446 structures in eight Minnesota Counties. 

The company is using the $3.4 million from the state’s Broadband Line Extension program after submitting the lowest-cost bids to serve the location. Arvig will invest an additional $442,000 to cover remaining project costs, with the grand total of the project being $3.87 million. 

After completion later this year, 104.3 route miles of new fiber will have been constructed. The Minnesota counties receiving an upgrade will get a varying number of structures. 

These counties include: Becker County receiving 71 structures; Clay County, 14 structures; Kandiyohi County, 37 structures; Lyon County, seven structures; Mower County, 200 structures; Stearns County, one structure; Todd County, 277 structures; and Yellow Medicine County, 19 structures. 

Arvig is exceeding the Line Extension program requirements of internet speeds with at least 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload, with a plan to provide access speeds of up to 1Gig download and 100 Mbps upload. This will bring higher speed internet to unserved locations that lack access to wired services with at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps uploading speed.

“The Line Extension Connection program has been a great asset to our efforts to serve rural Minnesota,” said David Arvig, Vice President and COO at Arvig in the press release. He expressed that the program helps offset higher costs that the company faces in serving harder-to-reach areas and provides a way for everyone to access modern internet speeds.

The Line Extension Connection program was passed in 2022 to award grants for extending broadband to unserved locations. Residential and business locations that are unserved can apply to initiate consideration for broadband upgrades.