Faster Internet Planned For St. Joseph, Cold Spring

UNDATED  (AP) — Midcontinent Communications plans to offer faster fiber optic Internet service in the communities it serves in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The faster Internet will be available to 600,000 homes and 55,000 businesses in the region by the end of 2017.

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based company said Monday the gigabit service will be 35 times faster than the national average Internet speed.

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. Pricing will be announced as the service becomes available.