North Dakota on track to be first in nation with 100% broadband internet access

BISMARCK — North Dakota is on schedule to have high-speed internet access in 100% of the state by 2028 thanks to recently approved federal funding.

The state expects to receive $6 million from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, a $42 billion initiative included in the infrastructure bill passed under the Biden administration. The funding will be awarded to a pair of local internet carriers, BEK and Midco, to install fiber connections to the last 279 locations in the state without access to high-speed internet.

North Dakota would become the first state in the nation to provide 100% access to broadband internet. The final connections are expected to be completed by 2028, though it may be sooner depending on construction timelines.

The achievement will be the culmination