Border-to-border high speed Internet access is the goal throughout Minnesota. The Broadband Office connects communities, policy-makers, providers, regional support organizations, and state and federal programs with each other and the resources they need to improve broadband access and use in Minnesota.
Minnesota Broadband Plan 2017-2022
The term broadband refers to Internet connections that can transfer data and information (like web pages) at high speeds. Broadband service in Minnesota is delivered through the fiber and coaxial networks of cable providers; DSL service over the telephone network; optical fiber to the home or business; mobile and fixed wireless systems; and satellite connections.
The Walz-Flanagan Administration created a Governor's Task Force on Broadband in Executive Order 19-10. The Task Force is a multi-stakeholder body that advises the executive and legislative branches on broadband policies, including strategies for achieving the state broadband goals, comprehensive assessment of digital inclusion issues and gaps, and strategies for unlocked the benefits of universal access to broadband for all communities in Minnesota. The Task Force consists of 15 members, meets approximately monthly and issues an annual report. More information, and reports issued by the task force, can be found on the Broadband Task Force page.
State law requires the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), in consultation with the Office of Broadband Development, to approve standards for a Safety-Qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Certification Program (Minnesota Statutes 326B.198). This certification requirement applies to the installation of underground telecommunications infrastructure that is located within 10 feet of existing underground utilities or that crosses existing underground utilities. This work must be performed by safety-qualified underground telecommunications installers pursuant to the effective dates outlined in statute. For more information visit the DLI program webpage, or contact Don Sivigny at 651-284-5874 or don.sivigny@state.mn.us.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law on November 15, 2021. It provides approximately $65 billion for broadband nationally. Two programs that will be administered directly by the Office of Broadband Development with this funding are the Digital Equity Planning Act and the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grant.
The Digital Equity Act provides formula funds to state broadband offices through the Digital Equity Planning Grant and Digital Equity Capacity Grant programs. In 2023, OBD used its Digital Equity Planning Grant to develop Minnesota's Digital Opportunity Plan. OBD submitted an application for a Digital Equity Capacity Grant in May 2024 and expects to receive this funding by the end of 2024.
Learn more on the OBD Digital Opportunity webpage.
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. Additional information on the federal BEAD program is available on the NTIA website.
Learn more on the OBD BEAD webpage.
The IIJA also included funding to assist eligible households with the monthly cost of broadband service. That program was called the Affordable Connectivity Program and administered by the FCC. Unfortunately, federal funding for that program has run out and no new applications are being accepted and the benefit will expire in May 2024. More information is available on the FCC's website. More information is available on the FCC's website.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) also received funding under the IIJA for its ReConnect program. Information on our website regarding ReConnect and on the USDA website. The Round 4 ReConnect window for submitting applications was September 6, 2022 to November 2, 2022. In April, USDA began to announce recipients of ReConnect Round 4 awards.
The IIJA includes an additional $2 billion for NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, a program that NTIA previously implemented under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program directs funding to tribal governments to be used for broadband deployment on tribal lands, as well as for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion. NTIA is the administering agency for this funding and has information on its website on how to apply and eligible uses. Several Minnesota tribes have received funding through this program, including the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Lower Sioux Indian Community, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
The Border-to-Border Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program funds, through legislative appropriation, the expansion of broadband service to areas of Minnesota that are unserved or underserved. The focus of this grant program is to provide state resources that help make the financial case for new and existing providers to invest in building broadband infrastructure. More information on the grant program can be found under the Broadband Grant Program page.
In the 2022 Legislative Session, the Office of Broadband Development (OBD) was directed to create a new program, the Broadband Line Extension Connection Program. The purpose of the program is to award grants for the extension of existing broadband infrastructure to unserved locations. An unserved location is a location that does not have a wired broadband service of at least 25Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.
The Broadband Development Office annually maps broadband availability across the state. Information on broadband availability can be found under the Maps and Data page.
