Anoka County residents who are on support programs like SNAP/EBT, Medicaid, Lifeline, or who have children receiving free and reduced school lunches might be eligible for free internet service through the Affordable Connectivity Program.
Additionally, residents who live in areas of the county that do not have access to high-speed internet might be able to get access established to their homes through the Line Extension Pilot Program that passed the Minnesota Legislature in 2022. The purpose of this program is to award grants for the extension of existing broadband infrastructure to unserved locations. An unserved area is a location that does not have a wired broadband service of at least 25Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.
To learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program or to apply, visit affordableconnectivity.gov or call 877-384-2575.
To find out if your residence or business could be eligible for the Line Extension Pilot Program, report your location to the Office of Broadband Development via online application at tinyurl.com/yc8xvtxp, or call 651-259-7610.
After the application is submitted, every six months the Office of Broadband Development will send a list of addresses to each broadband provider offering services in Minnesota. Providers will have ten days to notify the office that they can provide service at any of the addresses on the list. The office will contact those people to let them know the name of the broadband provider that can offer them service and any discounted pricing available.