$500,000 grant helping Kasson company provide faster internet in rural areas

KASSON, Minn. (KTTC) – The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program looks to provide broadband infrastructure in areas of need, and a Kasson company is one of its latest recipients.

KMTelecom was chosen to receive a $515,564 grant, which it will be using to provide fiber optic cables to provide faster internet speeds in rural areas including Genoa and Douglas.

KMTelecom assistant manager Jon Ehmke said the project will not impact taxpayers, all funds for this project will be through the grant and an equal match from the company. He added how critical it is to keep rural areas up to date with the latest technology.

"We saw that during Covid with I think schools, you know, we saw a lot of kids who are out in these rural areas that just couldn't keep up with their classmates, in terms of the demands of the schoolwork. So, it's just been huge and working from home, a lot of employers I know, Mayo Clinic and IBM used to require, you know, certain speed to actually maintain your job," Ehmke said. "So, these people really, really need that connectivity."

KMTelecom said it expects construction to start in fall 2025... and should be completed by the end of 2026. The organization's project is one of 18 broadband infrastructure projects chosen for this grant in the state of Minnesota.