Needed – Letters of Support for Paul Bunyan Communications by Feb. 20th, 2023!!!

Posted January 17, 2023

Balkan Township is closer to getting broadband! Paul Bunyan Communications will be  submitting a MN Border to Border grant application to deploy broadband in Balkan Township. A map of the included area can be seen at the Township office. This grant is a MN pilot program that helps low-density areas with a 75%/25% match. Balkan Township will use $45,000 of American Rescue Plan money to use as our match. This is an eligible expense for those funds. Paul Bunyan will also be putting a large investment into the project. Steve Howard from Paul Bunyan Communications  estimates a total project cost of $4.5 million. Due to inflation and supply chain issues, this amount may increase.

What will we gain with Broadband?

  • 250 MBPS Internet for $60 per month with faster speeds available
  • $10 per month phone service with the purchase of Internet service
  • Fiber connection to the home at no cost if ¼ mile or less from the road and a minimum of 6 months Internet service purchased.

We need your help! Letters of support  help with the grant scoring process and help legislators and decision makers decide where the $30 Million allocated to MN for 2023 should go. The grant application deadline for receiving letters of support is February 20, 2023 . 

Your letter of support may include:
1)  The need in the area;
2)  The area’s economic loss without broadband or gain with broadband  (Border to Border is funded through the Department of Employment and Economic Development, so economic development is important!);
3)  How it affects you, your family, your business, your livelihood, your neighbors, or your community.  These are usually the best things, like:  My kids can’t do their school work, I can’t buy/sell online, I lose out on business because I can’t compete with other small businesses that have good broadband, emergency services are limited/hampered/etc., out-of-town family/friends won’t come to Minnesota because we have no broadband, I can’t work from home, I have medical issues and can’t do virtual visits with my doctor/specialist, etc.;
4)  Your support for Paul Bunyan’s project to bring broadband to the area.

This doesn’t have to be anything formal.  Handwritten notes on a piece of paper are fine, a simple e-mail is fine.

Letters of Support should be sent via email to: showard@paulbunyan.net 

or snail mail to:

Paul Bunyan Communications

Attn: Steve Howard

1831 Anne St NW

Bemidji, MN 56601