Fidium accelerates southern Minnesota expansion with five new fiber communities

New all-fiber internet from Fidium now available in Janesville, New Richland, St. Clair, St. James and Vernon Center, strengthening educational opportunities, supporting remote work and enhancing daily life for families and businesses

MANKATO, Minn. — August 26, 2026 — Fidium, recently named the Best Internet Provider in Mankato by CNET, has expanded its all-fiber internet network to Janesville, New Richland, St. Clair, St. James and Vernon Center, bringing access to improved reliability and increased speeds to area homes and businesses.

New connectivity for communities

With this expansion, residents and entrepreneurs can now benefit from fast, reliable, symmetrical multi‑gig speeds delivered over Fidium’s 100% fiber network, offering a stronger and more consistent connection than traditional cable or DSL technologies. 

"Bringing fiber-optic connectivity to Janesville is an exciting step forward for our community,” said Clinton Rogers, Janesville City Administrator. “Reliable, high-speed internet is essential for our residents, our businesses, and our future growth. We appreciate Fidium’s continued investment in our community and look forward to the opportunities this project will create for everyone who calls Janesville home.”

“We needed reliable internet here in Vernon Center, and Fidium made it happen,” said Vernon Center Mayor Dana Ziegler. “Our residents now can work from home, our local businesses now have the service needed to compete in today’s ever changing marketplace, and we've given young people an important tool to use in their education journey. I'm grateful for this investment in our community.”

Fidium representatives will be visiting communities to share more information about service options and availability, participating in local events and stopping by individual homes and businesses with fiber access.

Building the future with fiber

With fiber now in place, residents gain access to online learning resources and the ability to work reliably from home, while small business owners can reach customers and manage operations without the constraints of slower connections. Research shows that fiber access enables stronger educational outcomes, increased telehealth adoption, and expanded economic opportunity for entrepreneurs.

"Southern Minnesota communities deserve reliable fiber infrastructure," said Kari Juni, vice president of Copper-to-Fiber & Network Transformation for Fidium. "This expansion reflects our focus on rural broadband, where systematic fiber access opens real opportunities for student learning, local business growth, and workforce retention. It's the kind of infrastructure investment these communities need to thrive."

Fidium now reaches more than 30,000 homes and businesses in southern Minnesota and greater-Mankato, and delivers future-ready speeds over its 5,000‑mile all‑fiber network in the state. Communities with fiber access include Eagle Lake, Garden City, Good Thunder, Janesville, Lake Crystal, Madison Lake, Mankato, Mapleton, New Richland, Nicollet, North Mankato, St. Clair, St. James and Vernon Center, with more locations to be connected soon across the state.

Experiencing Fidium

Fidium provides fast, dependable connectivity that helps customers stream their favorite entertainment, take advantage of work‑from‑home opportunities, and supports the needs of growing small businesses. All residential and small‑business plans are backed by the Fidium Promise, which includes verified speeds, complete Wi‑Fi coverage, flexible installation times (including evenings and weekends), and expert support.

Recently, Fidium earned top performance rankings in Ookla’s analysis of Q1-Q2 2026 Speedtest Intelligence® data*. This included wins for fastest upload and most responsive internet speeds in the Mankato market area, with performance data results showing Fidium’s upload speeds were more than 90% faster than the nearest competitor. Fidium has been named one of the Top 10 Providers for Real‑World Speeds by BroadbandNow and earned CNET’s Best Internet Providers recognition across its service area, including in Mankato. 

To learn more or to sign up for Fidium today, visit FidiumFiber.com. 

*Based on Ookla® Speedtest Intelligence® data for Q1-Q2 2026 on median download speeds, median upload speeds, consistency score, and multi-server latency. Results based on consumer-