From the Office of Broadband Development…

Office of Broadband Development: Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program Updates

Direct Negotiation for the Restructured BEAD Round, NOW OPEN

Direct Negotiation for the Restructured BEAD round is now open. Resources posted to the OBD BEAD webpage on how to participate in Direct Negotiation can be found in the:

• Call for Letters of Interest and Bid Forms for Direct Negotiation
• Please note, the deadline to complete and submit required materials to deed.broadband@state.mn.us is Friday August 8, 11:59 pm CST.

Any provider can submit bids for the broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) posted, which are BSLs that did not receive any bid in the Restructured BEAD Round. These BSLs are the only ones available to bid on in this Direct Negotiation round. 

Providers bidding on BSLs must meet all National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) requirements to receive an award. Providers that have not already completed the Pre-Qualification requirement must contact the Office of Broadband Development immediately by calling 651-259-7442. 

Based on the Minnesota’s approved BEAD Initial Proposal and approved Application Correction Letter as outlined under NTIA’s June 6th Policy Notice, the Office of Broadband has established prioritization criteria for reviewing applications that will best effectuate NTIA’s goal of delivering internet for all.