Austin Daily Herald reports…

Nearly 17,500 rural homes and businesses in Minnesota, including over 500 in Mower County, that are currently unserved by high-speed Internet service could get connectivity in the near future.

These homes and businesses are in unserved areas of Minnesota and are eligible for financial support from the next phase of FCC’s Connect America Fund (CAF), which helps offset the high cost of extending broadband service into rural areas. The FCC will be distributing these funds through an innovative “reverse auction,” which is scheduled to launch on July 24.

That includes 527 eligible sites in Mower County, 96 in Dodge and 143 in Steele County.

The auction is open to a wide range of broadband providers. Applications will be judged on a number of factors – including speeds available. Faster speeds are  weighted differently than slower speeds. Here’s a break down from the FCC…

As the Herald points out, parts of Mower County are eligible. That doesn’t mean that there’s a provider ready to make a bid – but it means it’s possible.