High-speed Internet coming to more cities in MN, Dakotas

Midcontinent Communications plans to offer much faster fiber optic Internet service in the communities it serves in the Dakotas and Minnesota.

The faster Internet will be available to 600,000 homes and 55,000 businesses in the region by the end of 2017. The gigabit service will be 35 times faster than the national average internet speed, the Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based company said in a statement Monday.

• September: Paul Bunyan Communication bringing faster Internet to Bemidji

Midcontinent has service centers in nine Minnesota communities — Bemidji, Cambridge, Cold Spring, Fairmont, Forest Lake, International Falls, Moorhead, St. Joseph and Wabasha — and provides telecommunication services to areas surrounding each location.

Midcontinent says it will invest $75 million to bring the gigabit service to the communities it serves. It did not say Monday how much the service would cost, adding that pricing will be announced as the service becomes available.