The Office of Broadband Development provides the following updates. I wanted to add just one – and that’s the departure of Hannah Buckland as New Digital Equity Lead. She has found a new home at DEED but unfortunately this is a consequence of the cuts in federal Digital Equity Act funding.
Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates
- BEAD updates
- Broadband in the news
- Line Extension Connection Program
BEAD updates
OBD continues to work on following the updated guidance published from NTIA in the June 6, 2025 BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice. Updated documents and additional resources on the OBD BEAD webpage include:
- Updated Restructured BEAD FAQs, posted 7/1/2025
- Eligible locations posted 6/30/2025
- BEAD map with locations, available 7/1/2025
- BEAD Portal User Guide
- BEAD Pre-Qualification Guide
- The Minnesota BEAD Contractor Directory continues to be available as a resource and is a voluntary list consisting of the names and contact information of the contractors and subcontractors that have requested to be included in the directory. To be listed in the directory, complete and submit the Minnesota BEAD Contractor Directory Form.
Upcoming office hours from the OBD have been scheduled for Tuesdays at 11am and will not be recorded unless otherwise noted. Materials from recent sessions can be found on the OBD BEAD webpage.
- July 8, register here
- July 15, register here
Broadband in the news
Organizations continue to publish resources and updates on understanding the federal changes impacting the BEAD and Digital Equity Act (DEA) broadband programs. Some of these resources, as well as additional broadband news, include:
- Telecompetitor reports on More Than 40 Members of Congress Write to Lutnick About BEAD Changes
- From the National Digital Equity Alliance, 140 Organizations Call on Secretary Lutnick to Reinstate the Digital Equity Act and The Supreme Court Decides USF is Here to Stay
- Slide deck, Understanding the BEAD Restructuring Notice, that reviews major program shifts and compares and contrasts the BEAD Notice of Funding (NOFO) and Restructuring BEAD Policy Notice
Line Extension Connection Program
The Minnesota Line Extension Connection Program aims to connect residents and businesses that lack access to wired broadband internet service with service providers and assist in the expense of extending broadband to those locations.
Owners of residential and business locations lacking a wired internet connection with access to actual speeds equal to or greater than 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload, can submit their address location for bid consideration by entering their information into the Line Extension Connection portal to initiate their interest in receiving broadband internet service. Applicants should complete every applicable question including providing additional comments that will help explain the critical need of broadband for the household/business, including any barriers. More information on how to submit an application via portal, phone, or mail is available on the OBD Line Extension Connection webpage.