Paul Bunyan Communications to expand GigaZone to Aitkin, Itasca and St. Louis County areas
Mar. 8—BEMIDJI — Paul Bunyan Communications plans to expand its GigaZone internet service to over 1,500 locations in Aitkin, Itasca and St. Louis counties this year.
The GigaZone refers to Paul Bunyan Communications' initiative to provide broadband Internet speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps, or a gigabit.
"We are committed to our effort to bring gigabit broadband Internet to those currently without reliable Internet access in our region," Paul Bunyan Communications CEO and General Manager Gary Johnson said in a release.
The Itasca County expansion will include over 180 locations in the city of Taconite, over 500 locations in the city of Keewatin and 45 locations in an area of the Greenway Township east of the city of Calumet.
The St. Louis County expansion will include over 530 locations in the city of Buhl and over 240 locations in the Forbes area southwest of Eveleth.
The Aitkin County expansion will include over 70 locations in areas of Aitkin Township and an unorganized township northwest of the city of Aitkin.
Construction will take place over the summer with services expected to be available by winter. Anyone interested in getting connected to the all-fiber optic broadband network should sign up for service now, the release said.
Interested community members can sign up online, over the phone or in person at Paul Bunyan Communications' Grand Rapids Customer Service and Technology Center or Cooperative Headquarters in Bemidji.
"When we started expanding in 1999, high-speed Internet service was just beginning," Johnson explained in the release. "Today, Internet access is no longer a luxury, it is a vital component of everyday life and our cooperative continues to bring this essential access to more homes and businesses right here in northern Minnesota every year."
To check to see if a specific location is within an expansion area and learn more about the construction process, visit
