Office of Broadband Development Conference opened next round of funding
The Connecting One Minnesota conference was hosted by the Officer of Broadband Development (OBD) in March. It was a celebration of the department’s 10 years in office. It was nice to see Diane Wells recognize for her 10+ years supporting broadband in Minnesota. OBD also announced the opening of MN Broadband Grant Round 10.
MN Broadband Grant Round 9 Awarded
Governor Walz announces $53 million to expand broadband to 8,900 Minnesota homes and businesses.
Minnesota Digital Equity Plan moves forward
DEED announces the Federal Approval of the Minnesota Digital Opportunity Plan. It’s a nice step forward, but one of many. Benton Institute introduces an ACP Enrollment Tool to help communities build a digital equity plan.
Tools Emerge for BEAD Applications
While the Digital Equity Plan has been approved, we’re still waiting for approval of the BEAD Initial Proposals, which would be the next step to releasing federal infrastructure funding. There are tools to help prepare for that next step too, such as BEAD Application Toolkit and NTIA’s Permitting and Environmental Mapping Tool. Because there is a period when Minnesota communities can challenge the broadband maps, it is helpful for folks to prepare for that opportunity. Just ask yourself, how many unserved broadband locations does the FCC think are in your MN county?
Bills to Watch in MN Legislature
No bills have been introduced in the Minnesota Legislature to fund broadband but there are several bills that could impact where funding goes and what users can do with it. Here’s an abbreviated look at what’s on the docket; I have added links to bills with updates in March:
- SF4511 resolution asking President to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program
- HF4456 Establishing the Digital Citizenship, Internet Safety, and Media Literacy Advisory Council
- HF4400: Prohibiting Social Media Manipulation Act
- HF3679 Telecom repair rules and municipal networks rule changes
- HF4264: Telehealth pilot project for schools
- HF4182: Establishing an Equal Access to Broadband Act
- HF4186: Imposing fee on digital video services for local content creation
- HF4025 Minnesota Advisory Council on Infrastructure
- SF3496: Compensation for minors appearing in Internet content creation
- HF2257: Limits data that online business can collect on children
HF2021: Activities prohibited by Internet service providers serving Minnesota customers (Net Neutrality) - HF3859: Extending broadband grant match to fund greater portion of deployment (lower population density grants)
- HF5152: Changes to Office of Broadband Development, grants and definitions
- HF4717: Virtual currency terms defined
- HF4742: Broadband installer industry standards
- HF5096: extending Affordable Connectivity Program
- HF4626: Reaping wage exemption for broadband workers
- HF4581: Cell phones in schools
- HF3492: Grants for computer science programs in schools
- HF4659: Industry Standards for broadband
State News
- Does MN proposed bill help or hinder broadband development? Doug Dawson does some math
- MN Equal Access to Broadband bill means new fees for broadband providers
- Office of Broadband Development Updates: webinar series coming up
- HF4025 Minnesota Advisory Council on Infrastructure established re-referred to Ways and Means
- MN bill introduced to House: HF5169: allowing online notary signatures
- MN bill introduced to House: HF5152 Changes to Office of Broadband Development, grants and definitions
- MN House Committee moves consumer protection omnibus bill that includes broadband bills
- MN Senate bill SF4742 on broadband installer industry standards to move forward
- MN bill is introduced in House HF5096: expressed interest in extending Affordable Connectivity Program
- MN Commerce joins $1.5 million multistate securities settlement against crypto platform
- MN HF4626: repealing wage exemption for broadband workers re-referred to the Committee on Labor
- MN House Committee re-referrers HF4659 Safety standards for broadband installers
- CCX Media on MN HF4182: Equal Access to Broadband Act
- MN4400: Prohibiting Social Media Manipulation Act placed on General Register
- MinnPost on the MN Office of Broadband Development conference
- MN HF4581: Cell phones in schools model policy held over for future consideration
- MN HF4659: Safety standards for broadband installers re-referred to Climate and Energy Committee
- Updates From the Office of Broadband Development: Conference notes, grant applications and job opportunities
- MN HF4182: Broadband franchising fees is re-refer to State and Local Government Finance and Policy
- MN HF4182 (Equal Access to Broadband Act established) moves forward to House State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee
- MN House (HF3492) a bill to get grants for computer science programs moves to Education Finance
- MN Association of Township shares scholarship essays on power of broadband
- Senator Klobuchar brings broadband advocate to State of the Union
- Bill introduced in MN House: HF4659 relating to industry standards for BEAD broadband builders
Federal
- Biden-Harris Administration allocates more than $800 Million to Iicrease Digital Inclusion Efforts
- Cautionary tale of Ohio broadband provider who lied to the FCC
- Statement of Assistant Secretary Davidson on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Action to Streamline Broadband Permitting Efforts
- Benton finds benefits of Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) are double the cost
Vendor News
- FCC dismisses Starlink’s spectrum application
- A look at the landscape of online content, AI, usage and regulations
Local Broadband News
Bemidji
EVENT April 20: 2024 GigaZone Gaming Championship Announces More Gaming Tournaments
Bois Forte
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa gets $261,184 from IRRB for FTTH
Goodhue County
More information on Nuvera’s MN Broadband grant in Goodhue County
Hatfield
More information on MN Broadband grant to Woodstock Communications for Hatfield (Pipestone County)
Iron Range
Would your nonprofit accept a crypto donation? It worked out for one org in Northern MN
Kandiyohi County
Another look at MN State Broadband grants in Kandiyohi County
Minnetonka
Intrepid Fiber expands to Minnetonka
Mower and Stearns County
More on Arvig MN Broadband Grant in Mower and Stearns Counties
Murray County
New ambulance telemedicine in Murray County is saving lives
Pine and Aitkin Counties
More on MN Broadband grants in Pine and Aitkin Counties
Rosemount
Meta plans to build a new data center in Rosemount
St Louis, Morrison and Crow Wing Counties
More on CTC MN Broadband grant in St. Louis, Morrison, and Crow Wing counties
Twin Cities
Comcast upgrades broadband speeds for customers in the Twin Cities
Winona County
MiEnergy is talking to Winona County about broadband expansion and partnerships
Worthington
Worthington City Council supports Equal Access to Broadband Act (franchise fees to broadband providers)
Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Resources
- April 9: From Fear to Confidence: Women’s Journeys Toward Digital Equity
- April 2 – OBD webinar Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), register here
- April 9 – OBD webinar State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), register here
- April 23- OBD webinar Joint presentation from Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC), Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS), and the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA), register here
- April 30 – OBD webinar Department of Natural Resources (DNR), register here
- April 11 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- April 20 – 2024 GigaZone Gaming Championship & TechXpo Set
- May 15 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- June 1 deadline: OPPORTUNITY: MN Association of Townships Scholarship
- June 18 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- July 18 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- August 19 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- August 28-29 – MN PUC hearing on LTD Broadband
- September 24 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- October 29 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- November 26 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- December 17 – MN Broadband Task Force Meeting
- OPPORTUNITY: Opening in Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force
- OPPORTUNITY: New Course Alert: Cyber Investigator Interactive Game
- OPPORTUNITY: 2024 MN Cup: Calling all entrepreneurs!