tribalgeo
Minnesota / AIANNHCE 2270 / Federally-recognized area

Mille Lacs

The full tribal profile includes the report map, demographic tables, broadband tables, FCC provider sections, and interactive charts.

96.5%25/3 availability
95.1%100/20 availability
0.0%1000/100 availability
12Fixed providers
MinneapolisRochesterDuluthTribal boundary detail46.1300°N, 93.5965°W96.49 sq mi
Figure 1. Location of Mille Lacs within Minnesota, with boundary detail (inset).

About the Tribal Area

In Minnesota, this federally recognized tribe uses Mille Lacs Reservation as its main reservation, and it spans about 97 square miles of land plus roughly 62.9 square miles of water. FCC BDC records show 12 fixed providers and 3 mobile providers serving roughly 48 service locations, with current availability of 96.5% at 25/3 Mbps, 95.1% at 100/20, and 31.5% at 1000/100.

Tribal Area Description

A federally recognized tribe in Minnesota, Mille Lacs is organized around tribal lands. The land base is relevant for broadband planning due to rural service coverage and middle-mile access constraints.

Website Summary: www.millelacsband.com

The Mille Lacs Band’s Department of Health and Human Services operates three clinics across the Reservation to make high-quality health care available to Band members. Because the walleye is such an important part of the Band’s heritage, and a staple food source for many of the Tribe’s members, the Band is actively involved in the management of the ecology and health of Mille Lacs Lake and its walleye population. District I includes the main reservation area on the west side of Mille Lacs Lake, sometimes referred to as "Neyaashing," or "The Point" in the Anishinaabe language. As a sovereign government, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe is responsible for providing services to meet the needs of its people, much like the State of Minnesota does for its residents.

Table 1. Demographics

Indicator201920202021202220232024
Population4,5564,6274,5744,6304,5084,504
Households1,8521,9501,8201,8641,8831,912
Median age46.147.446.747.247.847.9
Male / Female49.1% / 50.9%48.7% / 51.3%49.2% / 50.8%49.5% / 50.5%49.5% / 50.5%49.5% / 50.5%
Avg. household size2.362.272.412.392.312.30
Pop. density (per sq mi)47.248.047.448.046.746.7
HH density (per sq mi)19.220.218.919.319.519.8

Table 2. Economic & Education

Indicator201920202021202220232024
Median household income$39,363$42,245$47,031$53,672$55,230$56,223
Per capita income$23,910$26,409$27,346$30,402$32,166$34,112
Poverty rate21.6%19.6%19.4%18.6%19.1%20.3%
Unemployment rate11.0%12.3%12.7%11.9%9.7%11.5%
HS diploma or higher62.0%62.8%60.5%62.4%64.7%64.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher15.9%17.2%17.4%17.7%19.0%19.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Queried by AIANNHCE code. Population and household density are calculated from Census population or households divided by land area in square miles.

Table 3. Download/Upload Speeds (Mbps)

PeriodDownloadUpload
2019Q126.2 Mbps13.8 Mbps
2019Q228.0 Mbps9.4 Mbps
2019Q330.8 Mbps10.3 Mbps
2019Q430.9 Mbps10.4 Mbps
2020Q127.3 Mbps11.9 Mbps
2020Q234.2 Mbps9.2 Mbps
2020Q339.5 Mbps11.8 Mbps
2020Q451.2 Mbps19.3 Mbps
2021Q146.3 Mbps8.6 Mbps
2021Q257.8 Mbps20.4 Mbps
2021Q349.5 Mbps19.2 Mbps
2021Q455.7 Mbps19.8 Mbps
2022Q164.6 Mbps23.0 Mbps
2022Q265.8 Mbps27.7 Mbps
2022Q354.4 Mbps12.8 Mbps
2022Q484.3 Mbps34.0 Mbps
2023Q181.7 Mbps18.5 Mbps
2023Q256.3 Mbps11.3 Mbps
2023Q386.0 Mbps35.8 Mbps
2023Q475.2 Mbps34.6 Mbps
2024Q166.9 Mbps23.0 Mbps
2024Q255.5 Mbps21.7 Mbps
2024Q372.8 Mbps27.8 Mbps

Table 4. Coverage by Tier (%)

Year25/3100/201 Gbps
201554.6%1.1%0.0%
201654.6%0.0%0.0%
201754.6%0.0%0.0%
201888.0%0.0%0.0%
201981.8%69.4%0.0%
202097.8%72.4%0.0%
202192.8%85.1%2.7%
202278.5%77.2%0.6%
202390.5%88.0%24.1%
202496.5%95.1%0.0%

Table 5. Adoption (%)

YearAll householdsLow-income households
201749.6%50.7%
201852.7%58.6%
201954.2%58.6%
202054.7%62.9%
202154.6%63.6%
202258.8%64.3%
202361.0%66.3%
202463.6%69.9%

Table 6. Current Status (2024, %)

TierCoverage
25/3 Mbps96.5%
100/20 Mbps95.1%
1 Gbps0.0%

Table 7. Comparison with National Averages (%)

MetricTribalNational
25/3 Mbps96.5%92%
100/20 Mbps95.1%85%
Adoption63.6%78%

Sources: FCC Broadband Data Collection, Ookla Open Data Initiative, and U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates. National benchmarks are carried over from the report comparison section.

Figure 2. Speed Trends (2019–2024)

Figure 3. Availability (2015–2025)

Figure 4. Adoption (2017–2024)

Figure 5. Current Status (2024)

Figure 6. Comparison with National Averages

Figure 7. Fixed Coverage by Technology (25/3 Mbps)

Figure 8. Mobile Area Coverage

Notes: speed trends reflect quarterly mean throughput. Availability shows the share of population with access. Tooltips on the charts expose the underlying values for each series.

Table 8. Broadband Provider Summary

MetricValue
Fixed broadband providers12
Mobile broadband providers3
Broadband serviceable locations48

Table 9. Broadband Providers

FixedMobile
AT&T Inc.AT&T Inc.
Lumen Technologies, Inc.T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Frontier Communications CorporationVerizon Communications Inc.
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
EchoStar Corporation
Verizon Communications Inc.
Savage Communications Inc.
LTD Broadband LLC
Viasat, Inc.
Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative
Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
East Central Energy

Table 10. Fixed Coverage by Technology (% of locations)

Technology25/3100/20250/251 Gbps
Any Technology100.0%100.0%100.0%10.4%
Fiber10.4%10.4%10.4%10.4%
Cable0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Fixed Wireless0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Copper (DSL)4.2%0.0%0.0%0.0%
Satellite100.0%100.0%100.0%0.0%

Table 11. Mobile Coverage (% of area)

TechnologyCoverage
4G LTE94.2%
5G-NR (Speed Tier 1)32.7%
5G-NR (Speed Tier 2)26.9%
Total area (sq mi)5.477

Table 8. Coverage by Tier and Technology (% of locations)

Dec. 2022
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless31.115.114.80.00.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.097.00.00.0
All Wired80.580.375.874.80.70.6
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless87.680.576.174.80.70.6
Any Technology100.0100.0100.097.10.70.6
Any Terrestrial87.680.576.174.80.70.6
Cable61.661.661.661.60.00.0
Cable/Fiber74.474.474.474.40.70.6
Copper33.533.210.31.70.00.0
Fiber12.712.712.712.70.60.6
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless30.814.814.80.00.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.097.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.30.30.00.00.00.0
June 2023
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless34.48.48.24.90.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired76.175.766.963.92.01.9
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless84.080.173.468.52.01.9
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.02.01.9
Any Terrestrial84.080.373.468.52.01.9
Cable62.062.062.062.00.20.0
Cable/Fiber63.963.963.963.92.01.9
Copper34.834.47.80.00.00.0
Fiber1.91.91.91.91.91.9
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless34.48.28.24.90.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.30.30.00.00.00.0
Dec. 2023
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless55.621.621.63.70.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired92.892.488.987.925.625.4
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless95.093.190.388.325.625.4
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.025.625.4
Any Terrestrial95.093.190.388.325.625.4
Cable62.662.662.662.60.30.0
Cable/Fiber87.987.987.987.925.625.4
Copper37.737.37.80.00.00.0
Fiber25.425.425.425.425.425.4
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless55.621.621.63.70.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
June 2024
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless47.924.824.85.10.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired95.995.792.191.129.629.6
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless97.596.894.091.529.629.6
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.029.629.6
Any Terrestrial97.596.894.091.529.629.6
Cable61.561.561.561.50.00.0
Cable/Fiber91.191.191.191.129.629.6
Copper38.237.810.00.00.00.0
Fiber29.629.629.629.629.629.6
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless47.924.824.85.10.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Dec. 2024
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless48.225.425.45.70.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
All Wired98.398.096.396.034.434.4
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless98.598.296.896.134.434.4
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.034.434.4
Any Terrestrial98.598.296.896.134.434.4
Cable61.661.661.661.60.00.0
Cable/Fiber96.096.096.096.034.434.4
Copper38.137.810.20.00.00.0
Fiber34.434.434.434.434.434.4
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless48.225.325.35.70.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.00.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0
June 2025
Technology2/210/125/3100/20250/251000/100
All Fixed Wireless50.228.028.05.80.00.0
All Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.0100.00.0
All Wired98.298.096.396.033.233.2
All Wired and Licensed Fixed Wireless98.698.397.096.133.233.2
Any Technology100.0100.0100.0100.0100.033.2
Any Terrestrial98.698.397.096.133.233.2
Cable62.962.962.962.90.00.0
Cable/Fiber96.096.096.096.033.233.2
Copper36.836.59.60.00.00.0
Fiber33.233.233.233.233.233.2
GSO Satellite100.0100.0100.00.00.00.0
Licensed Fixed Wireless50.228.028.05.80.00.0
NGSO Satellite100.0100.0100.0100.0100.00.0
Other0.00.00.00.00.00.0
Unlicensed Fixed Wireless0.00.00.00.00.00.0

FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), June 2025 filing vintage. Coverage values show the share of residential broadband serviceable locations by technology and speed tier across D22, J23, D23, J24, D24, and J25 filings.

Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC), June 2025 Filing (J25). Fixed coverage shows the share of residential broadband serviceable locations, and mobile coverage shows the share of tribal land area.