There were two sets of State board seat vacancies that I thought might be of interest to some readers…
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.
The Federal Communications Commission should still assess broadband affordability and adoption as part of its annual report on deployment, consumer advocates told the agency.
The FCC is set to vote Thursday on a notice of inquiry that would kick off its annual report on whether broadband “is being deployed to all Americans in a reasonable and timely fashion.” The agency last year under Democratic chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel assessed affordability and adoption as part of the report, which the public draft of the notice would propose to scrap.
The public draft of the inquiry said that section 706 of the Communications Act, which mandates the report, only calls for assessing incremental infrastructure deployment and that the other inquiries, which FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticized at the time, were unnecessary. Representatives from Public Knowledge, the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, and X-Lab met last week with staff from the offices of commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gomez to urge against the move.
I have been tracking the progress as it happens, but always nice to see Minnesota broadband stories outside of Minnesota – Broadband Communities reports…
A broadband expansion in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region has reached 65% completion in the city of Coleraine, according to a recent update posted by the firm behind the project, Paul Bunyan Communications.
Additionally, work in the city of Bovey set to commence once Coleraine’s project is finished, according to the company.
Meanwhile, in Bearville Township, Paul Bunyan Communications says construction is complete, and fiber splicing is scheduled to start shortly.
Also, in St. Louis County, the internet provider says construction in Sandy Pike and Wuori Township is finished, with fiber splicing underway, and services expected to be available by September.
Other areas such as Alango and Owens Townships are nearing completion, with fiber splicing planned and service anticipated by the end of September. …
Overall, the project is estimated to cost around $7.5 million, according to a local news report, and is supported by the State of Minnesota’s Low-Density Population Grant Program, alongside contributions from Paul Bunyan Communications and local townships.
The MN Broadband Task Force did not meet in July. They will be meeting at Farmfest on August 6. There a couple other meetings that may be of interest to broadband folks:
It’s been a busy summer with the Office of Broadband Development hosting weekly meetings about BEAD funding and many providers working on their applications. August may be an anxious month as folks wait to hear updates on the grant applications and any changes in federal policy. In the meantime, you can read below about the providers and communities that are continuing to work on broadband improvements.
State News
Federal
Vendor/Technology News
Office of Broadband Development Updates and News:
Local Broadband News
Cottage Grove
Gateway Fiber will deploy fiber to Cottage Grove (Washington County)
Dakota County
Getting creative in Dakota County’s iLABs
Duluth
Duluth News Tribune on state and federal broadband policy
Itasca and St. Louis Counties
Paul Bunyan Communications Update: Broadband Expansion Progressing in Itasca and St. Louis Counties
Paul Bunyan Communications updates on expansion in St. Louis & Itasca County
Martin County
Martin County Broadband Partnership provides update to Martin County Board of Commissioners
Northeast MN
The Timberjay looks at impact of federal broadband changes in NE MN
Renville, Sibley, Carver and McLeod Counties
Mediacom expands multi-gig service to parts of Renville, Sibley, Carver and McLeod Counties
St Louis County
Sign up now in Breitung MN for FTHH for free installation (St Louis County)
St Paul
Minnesota National Guard assists city of St. Paul after cyberattack
Wright County
Wright County tells community about MN Broadband Line Extension grants
Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Resources
From Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance MPBA…
WHAT’S NEXT FOR BROADBAND IN MINNESOTA
Featured Speakers:
Gigi Sohn, American Association of Public Broadband
Christopher Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Bree Maki, Director, MN Office of Broadband DevelopmentThere’s
✅ No cost to attend
✅ Registration required – space is limited
The details:
NEXT CHAPTER WINERY – NEW PRAGUE, MN
🗓 SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
🕘 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
☕ COFFEE & PASTRIES PROVIDED💬 SOCIAL + Q&A TO FOLLOW
South Carolins Public Radio takes an interesting look at Minnesota’s plan for social media warnings…
At least a dozen states have tried to keep kids off social media with bills requiring apps to verify ages. But courts have blocked most of those attempts. So lawmakers in Minnesota tried something different. Next summer, Minnesotans of any age will see a mental health warning label when they log on. That is, unless tech companies block the new law. Here’s Minnesota Public Radio’s Dana Ferguson.
DANA FERGUSON, BYLINE: Imagine you’re getting ready to hop on your Instagram, Facebook or TikTok account. You hit the screen on your phone, and in seconds, you’re directed to the latest pictures, stories or posts. This time next year…
ZACK STEPHENSON: The only change is going to be that you’re going to see a message before you can interact with the app.
FERGUSON: State Representative Zack Stephenson wrote the new Minnesota law requiring social media companies to add warning labels, flagging risks of mental health harm from excessive use.
STEPHENSON: I think the evidence is very clear that social media use is linked with depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, all sorts of terrible mental health conditions.
FERGUSON: The Democrat likens them to warnings for tobacco products.
STEPHENSON: So I believe you’ll see a message telling you that prolonged use of social media can lead to those outcomes.
FERGUSON: Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for warning labels last year. He pointed to the research on prolonged social media use and mental health. Minnesota is the first state to require them, but New York may not be too far behind. Stephenson says the warnings could prompt some to spend less time scrolling.
STEPHENSON: If you had expected big tobacco to make cigarettes less addictive in the ’50s and ’60s, you would have been sorely mistaken. They would never have done that. Addiction was their business model, and the same thing is true for Big Tech.
You can see the full interview on their website.
Senator Fischer reports on an opportunity for folks to comment on the USF (Universal Service Fund)…
The USF Working Group reorganized in June – led by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Chair and Ranking Member of the Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and joined by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Gary Peters (D-MI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Jackie Rosen (D-NV). Representatives Richard Hudson (R-NC9) and Doris Matsui (D-CA7), Chair and Ranking Member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, lead the Group’s efforts in the House. Together, the bipartisan, bicameral USF Working Group invites public input about the future of the Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund.
Today, the USF comprises the High-Cost Program, Low-Income (Lifeline) Program, Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) Program, and the Rural Health Care Program. The Working Group aims to provide a bipartisan forum to guide reforms to the USF, ensuring that connectivity reaches Americans in every community across the nation.
The Working Group seeks comments from stakeholders across the country to explore the current state of the Fund, and assess proposals for the Fund’s modernization and reliable support of voice and broadband services into the future – particularly following the Supreme Court’s decision in Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research (consolidated with Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition v. Consumers’ Research).
From the Office of Broadband Development…
The Broadband Task Force will be meeting on Wednesday, August 6 from 2:30-4pm in Redwood County at the Minnesota Farmfest. This meeting will be held in-person and is open to anyone from the public to attend, however, tickets are required to enter Farmfest. Members of the public with questions about attending should email deed.broadband@state.mn.us or call 651-259-7610 no later than Monday July 28.
More information on this and past meetings can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.
The Tri State Neighbor also mentions it…
As Farmfest gears up to welcome thousands of attendees to southern Minnesota, one panel will zoom in on a challenge that transcends state lines and fencerows: reliable broadband access.
The Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband will host a listening session during Farmfest’s second day, Wednesday, Aug. 6, bringing a multi-stakeholder group face-to-face with the very people most affected by poor rural connectivity.
The task force includes representatives from agriculture, education, health care, small business and broadband providers. They advise the governor’s office on how to close the state’s digital divide. At Farmfest, they’re looking to hear from farmers and rural residents themselves. “This work only matters if it reflects the lived reality of the communities we’re trying to serve,” said Teddy Bekele, Land O’Lakes executive and Task Force member.
From Paul Bunyan Communications…
As the summer construction season moves along, Paul Bunyan Communications continues to make great progress on its broadband expansion across parts of Itasca and St. Louis Counties.
Status of Paul Bunyan Communications Broadband Expansion projects:
•Itasca County:
City of Coleraine- Construction is in progress with 65% completed
City of Bovey- Construction will start once completed in Coleraine
Bearville(s) Township- Construction is done. Fiber splicing will start this month
•St. Louis County:
Sandy Pike, & Wuori Township- Construction is done, fiber splicing has started. Services should become available in September
Alango & Owens Township- Construction is 90% done, fiber splicing will start once done. Services should become available by end of September.
Angora Township- Construction has started
Balkan Township- Construction has started
French Township- Construction is done. Fiber splicing will start this month
Great Scott Township & unorganized township north of Great Scott- Construction expected to start in September
Once the network is operational in a project area, customers who signed up for service will be contacted to schedule service installations.
Sign Up Now to Ensure Fiber Optic Connection Residents and businesses in these expansion areas are encouraged to sign up for service now, before construction crews move on to ensure the fiber optic connection is brought up to the location. That can be done online at http://www.gigazone.com, by phone, or in person at our Grand Rapids Customer Service & Technology Center.
Services Available Upon Completion Once the network is live, customers will have access to Paul Bunyan’s GigaZone® services, including high-speed fiber-optic Internet with speeds up to 10 Gig and dependable, low-cost unlimited local and long-distance GigaZone® voice services.
Good news for Paul Bunyan Communications members…
Paul Bunyan Communications is returning over $3.6 million to its members in 2025, the cooperative announced today.
Paul Bunyan Communications is a not-for-profit company that strives to provide the highest quality service at the most affordable rates. As a cooperative, membership in Paul Bunyan Communications includes the opportunity to share in the financial success of the company. When profits are earned, they are allocated to the members based on their proportional share of the allocable revenues. These allocations may then be returned to the individual members through capital credit retirements.
For current members with a distribution amount of $150 or less, a credit has been applied to their August bill. Checks have been mailed out for distributions of more than $150.
The Isanti-Chisago County Star reports…
Officials from the Minnesota Legislature and the Office of Broadband Development joined East Central Energy staff in Pine City on July 17 to observe speed testing and review the progress of the cooperative’s state-supported broadband expansion.
The visit marked a milestone in ECE’s fiber buildout, funded in part by $15 million in grants awarded in December 2022 through the state’s Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program. The project spans Isanti, Kanabec and Pine counties and aims to deliver high-speed fiber internet to 7,584 homes and businesses in some of the region’s most underserved areas.
Sen. Aric Putman, chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Broadband and Rural Development, and Rep. Nathan Nelson of District 11B joined the visit. They were accompanied by Bree Maki and Mike Wimmer of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development. The group watched performance testing by Connected Nation, the state’s contracted verifier, which is ensuring the network meets speed and coverage requirements.