The Willmar City Council will convene on January 20, 2024, to consider awarding bids for the initial phase of the Willmar Connect broadband project. The meeting is scheduled for 18:30 at the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services building, located at 2200 23rd St. N.E. in Willmar. This meeting was rescheduled from January 15 due to the observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
The Willmar Connect initiative aims to establish a city-wide, city-owned open access broadband network. The city has been actively researching and planning this project since early 2023. To assist with the network’s design and phased development, Willmar has contracted with Hometown Fiber, which will also manage the network that will support various internet service providers (ISPs). These ISPs will pay fees to the city, generating revenue to cover the debt and interest on approximately $24.5 million in bonds earmarked for the construction.
The lowest bid for phase one of the project has been submitted by NC3, a company based in Clearbrook, Minnesota, with a proposal of approximately $7.6 million. Phase one will focus on providing service to all businesses and residences situated west of First Street South, spanning from U.S. Highway 12 to 19th Avenue. The total estimated cost for this phase is around $7.8 million.
The project will unfold in three phases. Following the initial phase, phase two will extend the network into the southern and eastern areas of the city, while phase three will expand it to the northern regions. Each of these subsequent phases is projected to cost about $7 million.
For those interested in reviewing the full agenda and related materials, these documents are available on the city’s official website at willmarmn.gov, located under the mayor and council section for agendas, minutes, and videos for 2026 meetings.
