Paul Bunyan nears finish line on 1,800-location fiber build in central Aitkin County

One of Minnesota’s biggest rural co-ops is nearly done with a major build. Paul Bunyan Communications says construction is nearing completion on its all-fiber expansion across central Aitkin County, bringing its GigaZone all-fiber network to more than 1,800 homes and businesses, Blandin on Broadband reports. Electric cooperatives are having a moment in rural fibre — an Indiana co-op just won a $13.2M BEAD grant for its own four-county build.

The expansion spans the cities of McGregor, Palisade and Tamarack, plus portions of Clark, Haugen, Jevne, Libby, Logan, McGregor, Shamrock and Workman townships. Status by area:

• Palisade and surrounding rural areas — complete, services now available
• McGregor — construction done, fiber splicing underway, services expected by end of year
• East of Sandy Lake reservoir and around Tamarack — crews actively building; Round Lake/Horseshoe Lake area of Shamrock Township up next

“We’re excited to be nearing the finish line on this important project,” said CEO Chad Bullock. “This expansion reflects our continued commitment to bringing essential, high-speed broadband to underserved areas. Reliable internet is critical for work, education, healthcare, and staying connected, and we’re proud to deliver that through our all-fiber optic network.”

The snag: permits

Not everything is on schedule. The co-op says it hit unusually long delays getting permits for a few areas, affecting around 600 locations — those segments will have to wait for the 2027 construction season. It’s a familiar bottleneck in rural builds: the fiber is ready to go, but the paperwork to cross certain land or roadways isn’t.

What it means for Aitkin County residents

Once lit, customers get GigaZone internet and Wi-Fi with speeds up to 10 Gig, plus voice services with unlimited local and long-distance calling; business customers get managed IT services including VoIP, disaster backup and network management. There’s no membership fee to join the cooperative — membership begins when you subscribe to GigaZone internet or local phone service.

The practical advice from the co-op: sign up now if you haven’t, even if your segment isn’t live yet, so you’re in the connection queue when service reaches your address. Check availability at paulbunyan.net, by phone, or at the Grand Rapids customer service centre. And if you’re one of the ~600 locations in the delayed permit areas, the co-op’s online availability map marks those zones — worth checking before you sign a long contract with an alternative. Comcast’s recently completed Eastern Ohio build shows what the finish line looks like — and with a second BEAD round now open for leftover billions, more co-op builds are likely on the way.