Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program
The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program provides funding for broadband infrastructure and the preparation of a plan by each Eligible Entity (state) for how to achieve “Internet for All”. Federal BEAD program funding for broadband infrastructure deployment included a minimum of $100 million for each state. Allocations to each state above the initial funding were announced on June 26, 2023. Minnesota will receive a total of $651,839,368. The individual state amounts were calculated from the number of unserved locations (locations without reliable broadband service of at least 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload) within each state based on new maps that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) developed as well as the number of such locations in areas deemed to be high cost.
The process for receiving and awarding BEAD funding has multiple steps and spans multiple years:
November 15, 2021
IIJA signed into law
May 16, 2022
BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued
May 30, 2023
FCC issues new broadband data maps which are basis for BEAD funding
June 26, 2023
State/Eligible Entities funding allocations announced by NTIA
July 12, 2023
Minnesota submits BEAD Five Year Action Plan
December 22, 2023
Minnesota Submits Initial Proposal Vol. 1 and Vol. 2
May 29, 2024
NTIA approves Minnesota's Initial Proposal Vol. 1
Summer 2024
BEAD Challenge process
6/25/24 to 7/15/24, BEAD Challenge informational sessions held across the state and online
7/22/24 to 8/21/24, 30 days to submit challenges
8/22/24 to 9/20/24, 30 days to rebut
9/21/24 to 10/21/24, 30 days for OBD to adjudicate
12/18/24, Final list of BEAD eligible locations submitted to NTIA for its approval
Fall 2024
October 3, 2024, Volume 2 approved by NTIA
January 2025
1/7/2025, OBD BEAD webinar on recent updates to the federal BEAD program in 2025. Registration information below.
1/14/2025 to 4/1/2025, Weekly office hours from January-April. Registration information coming soon.
Expected Early 2025
Establish prequalification process for interested applicants to submit specified documentation to support their financial, managerial, technical and operational capacity to participate in the BEAD program as a subgrantee
Expected Spring 2025
NTIA approval of the final list of BEAD eligible locations. Upon NTIA approval of final list of BEAD eligible locations, OBD will begin the three rounds of subgrantee selection per its NTIA-approved Initial Proposal Volume 2. In Round 1, the focus will be on Priority (fiber) Broadband Projects and applicants will be able to select their project areas. In Rounds 2 and 3, OBD will define project areas and applicants can submit projects for both Priority (fiber) and Non-Priority (alternative technology) Projects
October 3, 2025
Deadline for the BEAD Final proposal to be submitted to NTIA for its approval.
Expected Winter 2025
NTIA approval of the BEAD Final Proposal. Upon NTIA approval, OBD can begin to execute contracts with the approved subgrantees.
OBD provided an update of information on the BEAD program in Minnesota going into 2025. To watch the recording of the webinar and download the slides, visit the OBD webinar's webpage.
Office Hours
Weekly office hour sessions will be an opportunity for OBD to provide updates on the BEAD program in Minnesota, the pre-qualification process, and answer questions on the registration portal.
Office hours will not be recorded unless otherwise noted. Registration links for upcoming sessions, and materials from previous sessions, can be found below.
Instead of office hours, OBD will be offering in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) a webinar on the new Safety-qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Program. Visit the DLI webpage to learn more about the program.
The Office of Broadband Development submitted their Initial Proposal draft for the BEAD program to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on December 22, 2023. Minnesota's BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume 1 was approved on May 30, 2024.
The three priorities for use of BEAD funding are for states to first ensure that all locations that do not have reliable broadband service of at least 25 Mbps download and 3Mbps upload are served; second, to ensure that underserved locations (those with reliable service of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload but not at or above 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload) are served; and third, to ensure 1G symmetrical speeds to all Community Anchor Institutions. If a state can show that it has allocated funding to achieve the three identified priorities, then a state may use its BEAD funding for non-deployment projects. Minnesota's Initial Proposal provides more specific information on how it will use BEAD funding to achieve the priority goals and at this time, it is anticipated that Minnesota's full BEAD allocation will be necessary to meet the first two priority goals outlined by NTIA.
The spreadsheet below contains the PRELIMINARY list of BEAD eligible locations submitted to NTIA for its approval. It is being provided to give potential applicants an indication of locations that may be eligible for BEAD funding as they contemplate whether to participate in the pre-qualification process. The list is still being cured and deduplicated (ex., USDA ReConnect Round 5 awarded locations need to be removed). If you are a provider and note any locations on the list that should be further deduplicated due to public funding commitments, please contact OBD at deed.broadband@state.mn.us.
Minnesota's NTIA BEAD Challenge provided an opportunity to finalize the funding eligibility and status of Minnesota's broadband serviceable locations and community anchor institutions.
The BEAD Challenge process was the only opportunity for local governments, nonprofits and providers to "challenge" the status of a location as eligible or ineligible for federal BEAD funding.
Eligible entities that could participate in the BEAD Challenge process were Local and Tribal Governments; Nonprofits; and Broadband Service Providers. NTIA requirements did not allow the public to submit challenges independently. However, the public could submit information about their location such as speed tests or documentation of lack of service.
Following the completion of the BEAD Challenge Process, only locations classified as unserved and underserved will be eligible for BEAD grant funding.
The Office of Broadband (OBD) issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a consultant to perform a broadband cost gap analysis study for the state of Minnesota. The purpose of the analysis was two-fold: first, to determine the amount of funding needed to serve the state under BEAD; and second, to determine the cost if all locations in the state were to be served with a minimum 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload wireline connection, as is the goal under state law.
If you plan to participate in the BEAD program, you will need a CostQuest license to review the list of BEAD eligible locations and to identify the locations included in your application project area.
Unserved and underserved locations eligible for BEAD funding pending the results of the BEAD Challenge process, deduplication, true-up and NTIA approval. This file contains the location ID but no other identifying information on the location (i.e., address, latitude/longitude) in compliance with CostQuest licensing requirements. The file would need to be merged with the FCC's broadband fabric data to see the "whole picture." If you want to use the BEAD Map Challenge Data outside of the challenge portal, you will need to request access to the Fabric Data through the NTIA Internet for All program. NTIA has an agreement with CostQuest to allow entities to request access to this data for free through a Tier D or E license agreement. Instructions on how to obtain a Cost Quest Tier D or E license have been provided for the past several months by our office and the instructions are again provided above, Getting CostQuest Licenses for Fabric IDs.
List of eligible community anchor institutions (CAIs) that require qualifying broadband service and do not currently have access to such service, to the best of the Eligible Entity's knowledge.
Map of BEAD un/underserved areas (Note: This map is before updates from pre-challenge modules AND deduplication from the state and most recent federal enforceable commitments.)
