NESC held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 23, 2024, to kick off a $4.25M broadband expansion. The project will be adding 136 route miles in three counties, expanding the NESC’s total network by 11% for a total of 1,366 miles. The project will focus on extending the network in Kanabec, Pine, and Isanti counties including some network expansion in Virginia and Hibbing for business growth and economic development.