News from the Office of Broadband Development…

Reminder, Border-to-Border and Low-Density applications due May 10th

Reminder that Border-to-Border (B2B) and Low-Density (LD) applications are due in two days. With $30 million available for B2B grants and the remaining $20 million for the LD grants, DEED opened the application window for the tenth grant round on March 12, 2024. Applications are due by 1:30 p.m. Central Time on May 10, 2024.

More information, including an updated Round 10 FAQ, can be found on OBD’s Broadband Grant Program webpage.

Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, next monthly meeting May 15th

The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband will meet next Thursday May 15th at 10 a.m. Central Time at Land O’Lakes in Arden Hills, Minnesota. The agenda will be posted ahead of the meeting on the Broadband Task Force webpage.

OBD April webinar series now available online

The Broadband Development Tuesday Training Series: Navigating PLUS (Permitting, Land Use, and State Systems) has finished and all 4 sessions are available to watch on the Webinar and Recorded Events webpage.

The series features agency experts from Minnesota Department of Transportation, State Historic Preservation Office, Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, Minnesota Historical Society, the Office of the State Archaeologist, and the Department of Natural Resources. In each session, an overview of the agency is provided, as well as information on current processes, timelines, goals, and best practices working on broadband projects and with broadband grantees.

Thank you to all of the presenters, partners, and attendees who made this series possible!

Affordable Connectivity Program wind-down updates April was the last fully funded month of the national Affordable Connectivity Program. The ACP was a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) benefit program that provided eligible households with a discount toward internet service of up to $30 each month, and up to $75 each month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. According to an ACP factsheet, this benefit was used by 23 million households across the United States, including just under 245,000 homes across the state of Minnesota. The FCC announced those enrolled in the ACP will receive a partial credit for the month of May, $14 and $30 for non-Tribal and Tribal enrollees, respectively. In Washington D.C., supporters of the ACP gathered on April 30th to emphasize the repercussions of the benefit ending on those enrolled: nearly half of whom are military families, over half are above the age of 50, and 4 million seniors living on a fixed income. Updates and other resources are posted to the FCC’s webpage.