Monthly Archives: June 2024

Cindy Aho runs for House District 13A (Stearns County) mentions broadband as goal

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Tri County News reports…

Cold Spring resident Cindy Aho announced last week that she is running for the Minnesota House District 13A seat, covering small-town and rural Stearns County.

And..

Here are a few issues Aho seeks to work on: …

• High-speed Internet (Broadband) access: Internet is a necessity for everyone from school kids to businesses. Unfortunately, too many people and businesses in Greater Minnesota lack access to high-speed Internet service. We need access to high-speed Internet for all households and businesses in Minnesota.

 

Coming Soon: NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

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Tips from the NTIA…

Get Ready: Tips to Prepare for the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will soon announce the launch of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. Applicants should take steps now to get ready. These steps include:
Ensure Administrative Preparedness 
To prepare to apply for NTIA’s Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, make sure your organization has current required registrations AND you can easily retrieve log-in and password information.  You MUST have an active SAM.gov registration and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to register to access the application portal. These items can take weeks or months to set up, so get started as soon as possible if you plan to apply for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.
Get Organized and Submit Ahead of Time 
Do you have a general idea of what you will propose in your grant application? Check out the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program to find out what types of activities and projects are allowable.  How about an idea of the team who will be writing and or contributing to your application?  In order to have time to prepare, review, and submit your application ahead of the due date, you need to get organized and plan ahead.
Identify and Cultivate Strong Partnerships

Partnerships can enhance an application by providing diverse expertise, increasing credibility, and extending a project’s reach.
Learn more about the NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program

Every Last Mile – video on rural broadband includes Lakewood Township MN

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Yesterday, the Internet and Television Association released a documentary titled Every Last Mile. It features three communities, including Lakewood Township MN.

Telecompetitor reports on the video…

The Mediacom crew in Lakewood Township, Minn., had a nature-imposed deadline — getting fiber in the ground during the short season when the ground isn’t frozen solid. The area, in the state’s Iron Range, has impenetrable bedrock in some sections.

As the crew chief notes, a mile of cabling in a major metro area might pass 2,000 people, but in rural areas of the state, a mile of cabling might pass two houses. At one point, some of the crew members must wade into cold water that comes above their knees to help meet the crew’s goal of deploying a mile of fiber every day.

It’s an interesting look at how the broadband sausage is made. They talk about the impact of weather, protecting artifacts and sacred land in the field, staying out of traffic and away from snakes, running into rocks. (Spoiler alert: earlier today I posted a press release from Mediacom celebrating the completion of the network in Lakewood Township.)

Mediacom Communications Completes Fiber Expansion in Lakewood Township, MN

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New alert from Mediacom…

Mediacom Communications announced completion of a fiber construction project that brings ultra-high-speed internet to underserved areas of St. Louis County. More than 1,100 homes and businesses in Lakewood Township now have access to world-class fiber optic broadband services.

Construction of the 73-mile fiber network began in May of 2023 and has been completed on schedule despite challenging terrain and weather conditions. Mediacom began launching service in October of 2023 as portions of the construction were completed. The entire cost of the project was covered by Mediacom’s $5.3 million private investment.

Residents and businesses in Lakewood Township can now access a variety of service offerings including broadband plans with 2-gigabits-per-second download speeds as well as low-cost phone plans. Mediacom also offers Xtream Connect a low-cost broadband plan designed specifically for qualifying low-income households. A public open house was held late last year to introduce Mediacom’s range of services to the Lakewood Township community.

“An estimated 95% of our residents did not have access to adequate broadband speeds to meet today’s needs. We are thrilled to now have Mediacom broadband services in Lakewood Township and applaud their substantial investment into our community,” said Gary Campbell, Lakewood Township Board Chair.

“Partnering with Lakewood Township and St. Louis County leaders strengthened our ability to deploy our ultra-high-speed broadband to an otherwise underserved and challenging to reach community,” said Mediacom Area Operations Director Jason Janesich. “Mediacom is working on multiple fronts to close the digital divide, and we are proud to make this investment to benefit residents and businesses in the Township”.

Mediacom’s Lakewood Township project was recently profiled in the premiere of NCTA – The Internet and Television Association’s docufilm, “Every Last Mile: The Untold Story of Connecting Rural America.” The film showcases first-hand accounts of construction crews building broadband networks in rural communities like Lakewood Township and the real time challenges faced to connect every American.

“Every Last Mile tells the story of the immense challenges faced by America’s cable industry every day to extend broadband into rural, underserved communities like Lakewood Township, Minnesota,” said Brian Dietz, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications for NCTA. “The Lakewood Township fiber build constructed by our member Mediacom’s dedicated team served as a perfect illustration of the grueling work it takes to reach unserved, rural communities.”

AcenTek Awarded Grant to Bring Gig-Speed Fiber Optics to Winona County

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News 19 reports…

AcenTek, a leading telecommunications provider, is bringing high-speed internet to Dakota County with the help of a $3.2 million grant from the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development Grant Program. This project will bridge the digital divide for an estimated 623 locations, offering them the opportunity to subscribe to internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).

The total cost of the project is estimated at $8 million, with the grant covering a significant portion of the expense. Construction is expected to be completed by March 2025.

Correction: apparently the project is actually in Dakota City in Winona. (6/28/24)

OPPORTUNITY: Federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant Opportunity

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I thought the following from the MN Department of Education might be useful to some readers, or might encourage someone to make the local library part of the digital expansion/inclusion plan…

The Minnesota Department of Education makes this funding available to legally established public libraries and library cooperatives or consortia, libraries located in Minnesota’s public schools or public colleges and universities, and special libraries operated by a Minnesota registered 501 (c)(3) organizations for the purpose of helping to achieve Minnesota’s LSTA Five-Year Plan (2023-2027), Goals A, B, and C, in order to reduce barriers to access, promote equity, showcase libraries contributions to community, and empower Minnesota’s library workforce.

While LSTA funds are primarily intended to support new projects that can serve as models or pilots, applications for new phases of a project that is underway may be submitted. Libraries may also apply for funding of an ongoing project if it reaches new audiences, incorporates new methods or significantly expands the reach of the project.

CFDA 45.310

Due Date: July 12, 2024, at 5 p.m. Central Time

Total amount available: $400,000.00

Maximum grant amount: $75,000.00

Minimum grant amount: $10,000.00

Submit all required material to mde.compgrants@state.mn.us

Carver County’s CarverLink’s ongoing fiber broadband connectivity efforts

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Big thanks to Randy Lehs from CarverLink for the update on broadband in Carver County…

“On May 20, 2024, CarverLink, Carver County’s publicly owned fiber optics network, executed amendments to CarverLink’s 2022 Connect Up Carver (CUC) project with Metro Fibernet, LLC (Metronet) for the Connect Up Carver Expansion (CUCE) project.  The CUCE expands on the existing CUC project, utilizing $2.5 million in County funds to construct an additional 80+ miles of rural fiber that will make fiber available to all remaining rural locations throughout the County that do not currently have access to fiber internet.  The amendments also initiated construction of fiber in the City of Chanhassen and pending the execution of the CarverLink drafted City Fiber Agreement between the City of Victoria and Metronet, which was executed on June 10, 2024, of an overall CUCE rural and city fiber build project estimated at $14.3 million.

The CUCE project brings Carver County closer to its goal of becoming the first county in the State of Minnesota with a population over 10,000 and the first Twin Cities Metro County to have high speed wired broadband service available to anyone within the County that desires it.  The CUCE’s rural build fiber is planned for completion by June 30, 2025 and the city fiber build in Chanhassen and Victoria are planned for completion by June 30, 2026.  Visit www.carverlink.com for more information on Carver County’s broadband efforts.

In parallel CarverLink contributed to discussions between the City of Chanhassen and Comcast, which led to Comcast signing a franchise agreement with the City on May 13, 2024.  During the discussions Comcast identified that they would be building out a fiber network that once complete would provide 1GB capable fiber service at symmetrical speeds.”

Comcast to partner with Starlink to provider satellite to businesses with remote locations.

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Business Wire reports…

Comcast Business today announced a strategic agreement with Starlink, a leader in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, to provide connectivity solutions to Comcast Business enterprise customers. The collaboration enables advanced satellite capabilities in Comcast Business’ Managed Connectivity portfolio to deliver fast and reliable connectivity that supports a range of business applications for enterprise customers, including those with locations in underserved regions.

Enterprises operating multiple, disparate locations are faced with unique connectivity challenges, particularly those with locations where traditional networks do not reach. From geographic limitations to scalability concerns and reliability issues, these companies face challenges less commonly encountered by their counterparts in more densely populated areas. Comcast Business’ collaboration with Starlink will address the demand for reliable, managed connectivity for these enterprise customers, as well as offer an innovative solution for enterprises looking to enhance network redundancy.

Conference of Mayors asks the FCC to rethink franchise fees

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Broadband Breakfast reports on an issue that came up in the Minnesota Legislature this year, the MN Equal Access to Broadband, which would have allowed local governments to charge franchise fees to broadband providers in their area, akin to cable franchising fees. It did not pass, but the idea clearly lives on…

A gathering of American mayors adopted a resolution Sunday designed to obtain fees from cable operators that utilize municipal property to provide consumers with access to the Internet.

The resolution – adopted at the 92nd annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Kansas City, Mo. – called on the Federal Communications Commission to modify a rule that shields cable Internet access revenue from the 5% fee collected on cable’s pay-TV revenue.

The mayors’ resolution urged the FCC “to act promptly” to modify its “mixed use” rule that they said costs “local governments millions of dollars in reduced franchise and other right-of-way fees and threaten[s] the future of cable franchise access channel and institutional network requirements.”

Also…

In other action, the USCM passed a second resolution announcing opposition to the American Broadband Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557), a bill which the resolution said would “preempt local governments’ rights-of-way compensation and management authority, zoning powers, cable franchising authority, and property rights.”

MinnPost looks at impact of new labor laws, end of ACP and rules tied to federal broadband funding

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Yesterday I wrote about the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s take on the Minnesota broadband, regulation, industry and federal funding (BEAD.) Today MinnPost is taking a look at the issue including the impact of the end of ACP (Affordable Connectivity Program) and the assumption that providers will be able to step up to offer low-cost access to service without it…

When the president of a trade association representing Minnesota’s telecom industry was asked how many of his members would participate in a $652 million federal program aimed at providing internet access to those who lack it, he was quick to respond.

“Zero,” said Brent Christensen, president and CEO of Minnesota Telecom Alliance.

His group represents 70 companies that provide advanced telecommunications services, including wireless video and high-speed internet, to Minnesota’s metropolitan and rural communities. Many of the smaller companies in his organization already operate in hard-to-reach rural areas and are eager to expand their services.

But Christensen said none of them would bid for the federal grants because of the regulations that would come with it — especially the requirement to provide low-cost services to low-income households in exchange for grants that would allow internet providers to build out their networks.

“To put those obligations on small rural providers is a hell of a roadblock,” Christensen said. “Most of our members are small and can’t afford to offer a low-cost option.”

MinnPost also spoke to the MN Cable Communications Association who were in agreement with MTA. And the argument expanded to include the issue of required prevailing wages for broadband builders…

Especially when those federal regulations are coupled with new labor requirements imposed on the internet provider industry by the state Legislature earlier this year.

Those new regulations include requiring companies who receive state  grants to pay workers a “prevailing wage,” a basic hourly rate paid on public works projects to a majority of workers in a particular occupation. The federal government does not require BEAD grant recipients to pay the prevailing wage.

Christensen said there are no telecom jobs on the federal government’s  prevailing wage list, which the state statute requires internet providers to use. So companies in Minnesota would have to pay more because they would have to use a similar, but higher-paying, classification.

There is action happening that could change some of the rules…

“At this point, we haven’t finalized anything with NTIA,” said Bree Maki, executive director of the Office of Broadband Development. “And so it’s still sort of a work in progress, making sure that, you know, we’re holistically looking again at what is affordable for people in order to have the services, but also (asking), ‘How can we make sure providers provide the services?’”

Since a final plan has not been approved, the state’s internet service providers are lobbying the Office of Broadband Development, and in some cases the NTIA, seeking alterations.

“We’re still in a spot where there is hope that the process can be changed,” Wolf said.

OPPORTUNITY: Strengthening the Reliability and Resiliency of Minnesota’s Electrical Grid

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This felt broadband adjacent, as if the right organization might be able to spin this opportunity from the MN Department of Commerce into better broadband too…

The Minnesota Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) seeks proposals from eligible utilities (“Applicants”) throughout Minnesota for the BIL-40101(d) Strengthening the Reliability and Resiliency of Minnesota’s Electrical Grid Grant Program (“40101(d) Program”). This competitive grant program seeks proposals for projects which will: increase the resilience of Minnesota’s electric grid against disruptive events, advance grid modernization and the deployment of clean energy resources and reduce the impacts of climate-driven extreme weather and natural disasters. This program also aims to generate the greatest community benefit and expand or create clean energy workforce opportunities for Minnesotans.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) is available for download on the Department’s RFP website at Request for Proposals (RFP) / Minnesota Department of Commerce – Business (mn.gov).

All responses to this RFP need to be submitted through a single responder user account via the grant portal. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. CDT on Monday, August 26, 2024. Late proposals will not be considered. Instructions and links for submitting proposals are detailed in the RFP and attachments.

This request does not obligate the State to complete the work contemplated in this notice. The State reserves the right to cancel this solicitation. All expenses incurred in responding to this notice are solely the responsibility of the responder.

Mpls Star Tribune looks at impact of new law on broadband unions, providers and future funding

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I’ve written about the legislation last session that requires the Office of Broadband Development to preference broadband projects with providers who adhere to prevailing wages and training for broadband installers for State funding but not federal. The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article that focuses on the debate around the bill between labor unions and broadband providers…

The industry is under a microscope now, and the rift between unions and telecom providers came with high stakes.

Minnesota is in line for an unprecedented $652 million windfall from the federal government’s 2021 infrastructure bill to subsidize a broadband boom. Those telecom groups loudly warned that the state would lose the funding if DFL lawmakers approved the new standards, tanking a priority of President Joe Biden in the process.

“It’s not a question of whether it will cause damage, it’s how much damage is it going to cause,” said Brent Christensen, CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, an industry group that represents many rural providers.

The article details both sides and the eventual outcome…

After complicated negotiations, and input from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Legislature cut much of the original bill.

Internet providers that offer prevailing wage or other benefits to construction workers will be prioritized in any future state funding, but those rules won’t apply to federal grant applicants.

The new law requires bigger providers to report pay and benefits data on grant-funded projects, along with information about underrepresented workers.

The state will also create a 40-hour safety certification program required for broadband construction workers that drill underground near utility infrastructure or find and expose that infrastructure. The training program applies to privately funded work as well.

And a last comment on the law and federal funding…

Minnesota’s $652 million is part of a federal initiative meant to provide universal access to high-speed internet across the country.

Whether it actually will do that in Minnesota is a matter of interpretation. The state would need hundreds of millions more to hit its own goals.

Bree Maki, who runs Walz’s Office of Broadband Development, said internet providers will likely not start building with federal money until early 2026.

EVENTS: DEED Office of Broadband Development to Host BEAD Challenge Process Information Sessions

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The Office of Broadband Development is hosting a number of events…

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced its Office of Broadband Development (OBD) will host informational sessions before the federal Broadband, Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) Program Location Challenge window opens. The challenge process helps finalize broadband service maps defining eligibility for federally subsidized broadband infrastructure projects. During the informational sessions, OBD will share resources with eligible challengers – tribal and local units of government, internet service providers (ISPs) and nonprofits – interested in participating in the BEAD Challenge Process.

Following are the in-person events:

  • June 25 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Detroit Lakes (at the CareerForce Center, 803 Roosevelt Ave.)
  • June 26 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. in Chisholm (at the State of MN Office Building on the Minnesota Discovery Center campus, 1003 Discovery Drive)
  • July 10 from, 3:30-5:30 p.m. in Rochester (at the Wood Lake Meeting Center, 210 Wood Lake Drive SE)
  • July 11 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in New Ulm (at the New Ulm Civic Center, 1212 N Franklin St., room 203).

Planning for online webinars and recurring office hours is also underway; that information will be posted on the OBD website as details are confirmed. Anyone who would like to learn about the process and eligibility for BEAD funding is invited to the in-person or online informational sessions. A closed information session for all tribal nations will be held in July and hosted by the Lower Sioux Indian Community.

Through BEAD, Minnesota was allocated $652 million in funding to achieve Internet for All as defined by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Prior to beginning the Challenge Phase, OBD will publish a state map identifying current broadband service as:

  • Unserved: having broadband service with download speeds of less than 25 megabits per second and upload speeds of less than 3 megabits per second (25/3 Mbps)
  • Underserved: having broadband service with speeds less than 100/20 Mbps but above 25/3 Mbps.
  • Served: having broadband service with speed of at least 100/20 Mbps.

“Broadband is an essential economic resource that supports business and community vitality,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “A robust statewide broadband infrastructure allows Minnesotans to connect to jobs, education, health care and their communities, which helps make Minnesota the best state for families, workers and businesses.”

“This mapping challenge process is a crucial step to help OBD ensure locations are accurately defined as unserved or underserved,” said OBD Executive Director Bree Maki. “We’ll use these critical details to ensure federal broadband development funding is directed to those areas.”

Areas identified as unserved and underserved are eligible for BEAD funding; served areas are not eligible. The BEAD Challenge Process is a period for eligible challengers to submit challenges on whether broadband service for a given location has been accurately defined. Once the Challenge Phase opens, eligible challengers have 30 calendar days to submit a challenge to OBD.

The federal BEAD funds supplement Minnesota’s Border-to-Border program, established in 2014. To date, OBD has awarded nearly $350 million in Border-to-Border, Lower Population Density and Line Extension grants through nine rounds of state-funded grants – expanding service to more than 112,000 homes and businesses statewide.

Are broadband providers in Minnesota offering low-income discounts to replace ACP?

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I was spurred by Benton Institute for Society’s list, What are [National] ISPs Offering Consumers After ACP?, to take a look at what providers in Minnesota are doing now that federal funding for broadband subsidies for low-income households (ACP) has stopped. I started with a list created by the Office of Broadband Development of Broadband Providers by County. I checked out the websites of the providers on the list to see if I could find mention of any deals on their website or (for some if ambiguous) sought more info via email.

At a high level, here’s what I found:

  • There were 112 providers
  • 8 providers have programs akin to the ACP discount
  • 52 provides mention federal (Lifeline) and state (TAP) subsidies for low-income households
  • 41 providers make no mention of discounts
  • 3 providers mention ACP as if it’s still happening
  • Several mention discounts, such as for students, seasonal accounts or free Wifi in public spaces in the community

Here are the providers I found with an ACP-like discount include:

  1. Netwave
  2. Arvig
  3. Garden Valley
  4. Ace Telephone
  5. BEVCOMM
  6. Vast
  7. MVTV Wireless
  8. USI

And here’s the list from Benton with a presence (even mobile-only) in MN with an ACP-like discount:

  1. AT&T
  2. Comcast
  3. Mediacom
  4. Spectrum/Charter
  5. Verizon

There are some caveats. I didn’t bother with folks on Benton’s list. I condensed as much as possible; if a company went by several names, I tracked them once. I didn’t include satellite-only providers. Also – I’m going to call this a list in progress, because policies change. If I have missed something, please let me know: atreacy@treacyinfo.com. Also, as a website developer of 30 years, I know for sure the webmaster, isn’t always the first to know. But I wasn’t going to make 100+ phone calls. You can access a spreadsheet of the information I tracked.

It’s hard to draw conclusions because each provider is different. I will point to a recent podcast (Connect This!) from the Institute for Local Self Reliance, where host, Christopher Mitchell, talks to industry leaders Robert Boyle, Travis Carter, Kim McKinley, and Blair Levin because these talk about how/why a provider might try to continue their own version of ACP. Slight spoiler: providers are happy to do good (continue an essential service) especially if they are generating some income. But it’s difficult to continuing offering a service for a loss, which means it makes more sense when there are more customers and cost to build and maintain is lower. They also dive into higher level need providers have for more customers (which ACP brought) to recoup costs and some providers have been counting on that bump in customers when creating plans for future builds.

Anecdotally, many fixed wireless providers don’t mention federal/state subsidies. Perhaps because that’s a newer industry than telecom and perhaps less aware of the role subsidies can play in building infrastructure. Also, some companies post their discounts prominently, others do not.

EVENT June 26: Online film screening of Every Last Mile

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NCTA reports…

In today’s world, high-speed internet is the gateway to a world of opportunities. Access to fast and reliable broadband is especially important in rural areas, enabling people to participate fully in the digital economy with remote work opportunities, virtual learning, telehealth services and more.

However, while internet access is essential, building out networks to America’s most rural locations is a dauting task. NCTA’s forthcoming docufilm, “Every Last Mile,” explores the challenges and obstacles that internet providers face in wiring these communities.

Overcoming obstacles

While much of America enjoys seamless connectivity, many rural communities still await modern internet service. Geographically, these areas encompass vast, rugged, and sparsely populated landscapes, making broadband deployment logistically complex and significantly more expensive than in urban areas.

  • However, there is an unprecedented national effort to expand internet access to unconnected Americans, especially the 10 million who live in rural areas. Tens of billions in federal and state funds have already been dedicated to thousands of rural projects, and the historic allocation of $42 billion in federal infrastructure funding will jumpstart projects in every state.

Sharing stories from the field

Broadband crews are making tremendous progress on projects underway in remote communities nationwide. But the job is a formidable challenge, as workers must overcome obstacles at every turn, braving extreme conditions, difficult terrain, and unexpected surprises.

  • “Every Last Mile“chronicles the untold story of connecting rural America, following three cable broadband construction crews in Alaska, Arizona, and Minnesota as they overcome obstacles to get the job done. The short film tells the story of the crews’ resilience in extending networks to unserved, hard-to-reach parts of the country.

The docufilm premieres on June 26 at 4:00 p.m. ET at a Washington Post Live screening. Register for the virtual event here.