Another industry source is picking up the issue of Article 10 of the House Labor Omnibus bill. Here’s the short take on the article from the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society…
- Minnesota ISPs are protesting new legislation that includes labor provisions about prevailing wages and certification programs
- ISPs warned that the legislation could stall broadband expansion efforts through the BEAD program
- The battle in Minnesota is yet another example of how state authority can influence the broadband sector
Quite a few industry sources are keeping track of this as I found in my own research for an article for the Timberjay. We have plenty of spots in St. Louis County that need these projects, and the possibility of losing the BEAD money and company investments is a huge concern. Thanks for keeping a close eye on it yourself!
I thought there might be more chat on the topic in the MN Broadband Task Force meeting – but not yet. Maybe in the last hour.