A big thanks to Tom Karst from the NITA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce) for talking with me today about how communities, providers and people can engage with the newly released BEAD Draft Proposals from the MN Office of Broadband. These documents will (eventually) become the blueprint for how the $652 million of federal funding will be spent to deploy broadband in Minnesota. From now until December 12, the public is invited to comment on these drafts. That means now is the time to have an impact on where and how that money is spent.
The documents are not as long as I expected. OBD does a nice job being concise and straightforward. The report is good is part because OBD has been doing this for years. But more eyes, ear and ideas can only make it better. To make it easier and encourage participation, I’m going to reframe our conversation here as a checklist of things your community can do to engage with the process:
Mapping Challenges
There is no longer an opportunity to use maps to get more BEAD money into Minnesota. Now the maps will be used to define eligibility within the state. You want to make sure that the map is correct and see how broadband is defined. Volume 1 outlines the challenge process. If the challenge process is onerous or confusing to you, now is the time to speak up.
Federal Requirements (such as letter of credit)
Volume 2 outlines the requirements for subgrantees (future potential grant awardees). Because Minnesota has a process in place this is an area where accommodations are made (or not made) from the existing process to adhere to federal requirements. One example is the required letter of credit. (Tom does a nice job describing the letter of credit requirement and alternatives.) If you are a provider or you have experience working on projects with federal requirements, this is a section you may want to delve into to offer advice or concerns.
Scoring Rubric
Volume 2 includes a proposed scoring rubric, which will (eventually) determine the requirements and priorities of future grant awards. Again, now is the time to speak up with your needs and concerns. Do you see things you appreciate or are concerning?
The proposal recognizes that $652 million will not get broadband to everyone in Minnesota. There’s no wiggle room to waste if we want to optimize coverage and maximize speeds. As a state, Minnesota is broadband smart. We’ve gone through the state grant process longer than most. This is the opportunity for us to use that experience and knowledge to create a program that best meet our needs. One idea for local communities is to meet with local broadband stakeholders, including potential provider partners, to discuss these documents both with a goal of submitting comments but also brainstorming local solutions and setting the stage to be prepared for the first round of BEAD funding.
Tom knows the BEAD process well. His job is to help Minnesota make the most of it and while busy, he’s generous with his time. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact him.
Mobile: (240) 328-5178
Email: TKarst@NTIA.gov
InternetForAll.gov
Here are some of Tom’s recommendations:
- NTIA BEAD page with the NOFO, guidance documents, and FAQs: Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program | BroadbandUSA (ntia.gov)
- Letter of Credit waiver: BEAD Letter of Credit Waiver | BroadbandUSA (ntia.gov)
- NTIA Letter of Credit blog post: BEAD Letter of Credit Waiver | BroadbandUSA (ntia.gov)