Today, the Minnesota Senate passed legislation authored by Senator Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) which will help accelerate broadband installation while upholding strong labor and safety standards. The bill passed in a unanimous vote of 64 – 0 .
The bipartisan legislation, SF 908, will require any workers installing underground broadband in Minnesota to have a broadband safety certification beginning on January 1, 2026.
“Everyone deserves access to high-speed broadband internet in Minnesota, but we must make sure that this broadband expansion is done safely by workers trained to do it,” said Sen. Kupec. “With support from labor, industry, and community leaders, this bill updates and aligns state policy to protect workers and help us meet our broadband goals.”
The bill also removes the requirement to have at least 2 workers on site for an installation, while leaving requirements that any worker performing specific tasks have the necessary certification. The bill also allows broadband training providers to provide credit toward certification for workers if their past coursework happened within two years of the upcoming January 1, 2026 deadline.
Blandin on Broadband
News and information on broadband use, policy, and trends
