The Cloquet Valley Internet Initiative (CVII) is a
multi-township effort to improve the options residents have for high-speed internet service.

CVII's mission is to make sure that residents in this area are not left out of the planning for high speed Internet access going on in Lake County and other nearby areas.

Options available in our area for cell phones, Internet and television service are limited. In some areas, cell phone or high-speed Internet service are unavailable.

As more services are offered over the Internet, we could be left behind. Those who want to telecommute from home won’t be able to do so. Students will miss out on important educational opportunities. And fire and safety operations may be affected, as telecommunications are unreliable. In a rural area such as ours, being able to access certain service, such as telecommunication healthcare, could be vital.

A variety of approaches are being investigated, such as national programs that extend broadband to rural areas, participation in new projects like the Lake County Fiber Optic Project, or expansion and improvement by current providers. Those volunteers working on the Cloquet Valley Internet Initiative, the name currently given to this effort, have been meeting with officials from Lake and St. Louis Counties, and representatives of the Coop Light and Power, among others, to determine what options are available to us and have secured a grant from the Blandin Foundation for a consultant knowledgeable in this area.

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