Today the MN Broadband Task Force heard from digital equity workers from Neighborhood House, a nonprofit in St Paul that works with people in need. Bree Maki from the Office of Broadband Development gave an update on ’what’s happening with MN broadband grants in the field and updates with BEAD.

Full notes:

10:00 a.m. – 10:10 a.m. Welcome – Done
Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband

10:10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Approval of minutes from May Task Force Meeting – Done

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Neighborhood House Shabazz-Adasi Milton, Digital Navigator, American Connection Corps/Neighborhood House, Noah Nelson, Evening Adult Education Program Supervisor, Neighborhood House and Nick Contreraz, Vice President of Programs, Neighborhood House

Questions:

• Thanks for your work. How can the Task Force support you?
  Like to know about potential partners.
• What are digital inclusion obstacles?
  Skills. And sometimes they don’t even have a phone – or diapers.
• How have digital skills changed someone’s life?
  There’s a woman who has been taking our basic computer skills class. She is learning how to type and wants to send emails. She is building those skills.
• How do you partner with providers? Or do you need more of that?
  Most folks participating were more teachers that program managers.

10:45a.m. – 10:50 a.m. Legislative Updates

Agriculture omnibus bill passed in regular session – including funding for OBD. No changes otherwise. There were modifications made to broadband installer requirements. Governor is ready to sign necessary laws and budget on Friday.

10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Office of Broadband Development Overview + BEAD and Digital Opportunity Updates with Bree Maki, Executive Director, OBD

• With grants – closing out round 7 Border to Border by end of June. Sending out progress reports to active grants. Doing site visits.
• Working on reimbursements for grantees.
• June outlook: 54 closeouts and 94 progress reports are expected. Hoping to close 42 more grants this year. Starting to see Round 10 grantees breaking ground.
• Working with Connected Nation on field validations.
• Capitol Project grants – tracking on any left over money.
• Working on Round 4 for Line Extension.
• Digital Opportunity: got the termination notice.
• We are in emergency mode with BEAD updates. Waiting for more info from NTIA. Every state is reviewing these changes. As is the AG’s Office. But even if its overturned, that could take years.
• BEAD: Bree is at Gov’s Association meeting with other State Broadband Offices.
• There’s a plan for OBD Office Hours next week.
• Within 30 days, OBD needs to submit a letter saying they will do initial proposals based on the BEAD changes. The Maps are no longer correct, need to fix that. Need to do changes with prequalification. Within 90 days, to complete all of the work and submit a final proposal to NTIA.
• There is no room for non-deployment funds – but MN hadn’t planned on non-deployment funds.

Questions:

What a mess. Thanks for dealing with it. Let us know if we can help.
So area that are served by fixed wireless are no longer BEAD eligible?
Right

11:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Other Business, Upcoming Meeting Plans, Wrap-up

Next meeting is August at Farm Ffest.