MN Office of Broadband Dev Update: BEAD Challenge Info sessions start next week

Posted on by

An update from the Office of Broadband Development…

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates

  • Save the dates! BEAD Challenge informational sessions happening across the state
  • Preparing for BEAD: Getting CostQuest licenses for Fabric IDs
  • OBD, Out of office!
  • Digital Opportunity: E-rate Cybersecurity Pilot Program
  • DEED is hiring, apply today

Save the dates! BEAD Challenge informational sessions happening across the state

OBD will hosting informational sessions before the BEAD Challenge window opens to share resources with eligible entities interested in participating in the BEAD Challenge process, as well as those who would like to learn more about the process and eligibility for BEAD funding. In-person events happening around the state include:

  • Tuesday June 25th, 1:30-3:30pm, Detroit Lakes, at the CareerForce Center, 803 Roosevelt Ave, Detroit Lakes MN, 56501
  • Wednesday June 26th, 10am-12pm, Chisholm, at the State of MN Office Building on the Minnesota Discovery Center campus, 1003 Discovery Drive, Chisholm, MN 55719
  • Wednesday July 10th, 3:30-5:30pm Rochester, at the Wood Lake Meeting Center, 210 Wood Lake Drive SE, Rochester MN, 55904
  • Thursday July 11th, 1:30-3:30pm New Ulm, in room 203 at the New Ulm Civic Center, 1212 N Franklin St, New Ulm, MN 56073
  • Friday July 12th, 10am-12pm, Lower Sioux Indian Community, Tribal members only

OBD will also be releasing dates for online webinars that will go over these resources, as well as offer recurring office hours. Information as that becomes available will be posted to the Office of Broadband Development website.

We are committed to providing equal access to these sessions for all participants. If you need alternative formats or other reasonable accommodations, please contact anna.norcutt.preuss@state.mn.us for June events by 3pm Friday June 21st and July events by 3pm Wednesday July 3rd.

Preparing for BEAD: Getting CostQuest licenses for Fabric IDs

The NTIA Tier D & E licenses support a broader range of purposes, including administration of the BEAD program, participation in the BEAD eligible entity Challenge processes, and reporting requirements associated with the Broadband Funding Map and the BEAD program. There is a no-cost license option available to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to access the Fabric IDs.

The Tier D and E licenses are intended for: qualified or presumptively qualified prospective direct recipients or indirect subrecipients; awarded direct recipients or indirect subrecipients; and challengers to participate in Federal Broadband Granting Agency’s (FBGA) broadband grant programs through either a challenge process, by applying for an award of available funds, or by reporting on an awarded grant/loan (including reporting related to the Broadband Funding Map authorized by IIJA § 60105).

The Tier D license is available upon request. CostQuest will coordinate the approval of Tier E licenses with individual State Broadband Offices and NTIA. This coordination is to ensure that the delivery of the Licensed Materials coincides with the state challenge process.

For more information visit NTIA’s webpage on CostQuest Licensing.

You can make a license request using these websites:

If you have any questions, CostQuest can be reached directly by emailing IFAsupport@costquest.com.

OBD, Out of office!

In the past month, staff from OBD have had the opportunity to visit sites with state grant program funding and attend groundbreaking ceremonies. This has included:

A groundbreaking ceremony on a last-mile project in Stillwater, MN. A Comcast-Xfinity – Comcast Washington County project broke ground that received a $2,908,829 grant from the state. This last-mile project will bring gigabit broadband service to 1,075 households, businesses and farms in Grant, Hugo, and Stillwater Township that currently receive inadequate speeds at an average of 10Mbps/1Mbps.

A site visit to an Otter Tail County project to learn about current Line Extension projects. Staff began the visit at the Arvig headquarters in, Perham, MN and learned about progress, challenges, and successes on projects before traveling up to Detroit Lakes and Frazee where Line Extension projects are being built.

A field validation visit to the Benton Communications Borgholm Township Border-to-Border Round 7 project. OBD met with ISP staff to review project status and conducted speed testing, all while learning about structural designs and the project’s positive impact on residents and businesses. The visit highlighted the community benefits of increased broadband access and strategies for future service improvements to continue to reliable, fast, broadband to Minnesotans.

A visit to check on the progress of the Hanson Communications-Pope County East broadband grant project. The Border-to-Border broadband grant is covering 40% of the $10 million project, with Pope County covering approximately $1 million and Hanson covering the remaining costs. The project will cover 3 towns and 10 townships once completed, and when finished will connect hundreds of residents, businesses, and farms in Pope County.

A groundbreaking ceremony in Jackson, MN for a Capital Funds Project (CPF). This low-density project is the State’s CPF funded project with a $7,068,222 grant. This Federated REA project will serve 480 households, businesses, and farms in Jackson County, exceeding the 2026 state speed goal.

A visit to Hanson’s Lamberton-Revere project with Border-to-Border grant funding. This grant covers $920,000 of the $2.3 million project, which will provide broadband service when completed to 529 locations covering two towns and two townships. The project is using all-Minnesota constructions crews to install the fiber.

Digital Opportunity: E-rate Cybersecurity Pilot Program

On June 6, the FCC voted to launch a new Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program to address the increasing frequency with which K12 schools, public libraries, and tribal libraries are targets for cybersecurity attacks. The program provides up to $200M over three years for eligible schools/libraries to defray the cost of cybersecurity equipment and services. This fall, applications will open for schools and libraries interested in participating in the first year of the pilot.

More information is available through USAC.

DEED is hiring, apply today

The posting for the Senior Associate General Counsel – Staff Attorney 3 position is open and accepting applications until Tuesday, June 25th. For external candidates, visit 77692 | Senior Associate General Counsel – Staff Attorney 3, or Apply Here.

Leave a comment