From the Office of Broadband Development…
Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates
- Line Extension Connection Program
- Broadband Task Force, January meeting plans
- NTIA Approves Minnesota’s BEAD Plan; Initial $378.9M in subgrants to connect 74,739 locations statewide
- OBD BEAD resources
- Broadband in the news
Line Extension Connection Program
OBD is currently in the process of rolling out awards and getting confirmation of award acceptance from providers for Round 4 of the Line Extension Connection Program. Once this process is complete, OBD will publish final awards, which is expected to be late January or early February.
Registration remains open for future rounds if and as funding is available for residents and businesses on the Line Extension Connection Program webpage. OBD does expect to run a fifth round of Line Extension with state project funds in late winter/early spring 2026.
Questions on Line Extension can be sent to deed.broadband@state.mn.us or (651)-259-7610.
Broadband Task Force, January meeting plans
The Broadband Task Force will have its first meeting of 2026 on Thursday January 22, at 10am. This meeting will be held virtually and is open to anyone from the public to attend, the link to join will be added to the agenda which is posted on the Broadband Task Force webpage.
During 2026, the Broadband Task Force will plan to meet on:
- Wednesday, February 18
- Wednesday, April 29
- Thursday, May 21
- Thursday, June 18
- Thursday, August 13
- Wednesday, September 16
- Thursday, October 8
- Thursday, November 12
- Thursday, December 10
This schedule, along with other information on past and future meetings, will be posted on the Broadband Task Force webpage.
NTIA Approves Minnesota’s BEAD Plan; Initial $378.9M in subgrants to connect 74,739 locations statewide
On December 19, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approved Minnesota’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Final Proposal, advancing the state’s plan to expand high‑speed internet with federal funding.
Following extensive engagement, restructuring, and over 18 rounds of curing, Minnesota has been initially approved for $378.9 million in BEAD subgrants across 94 projects. These projects are supported by nearly $190 million in matching funds, representing a total anticipated investment of more than $568.8 million to connect 74,739 locations. This extraordinary opportunity underscores the dedication and coordination of our team and partners statewide.
The Office of Broadband Development (OBD) is awaiting final approval from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and will then begin the contracting process with subgrantees, prioritizing award agreements and readiness activities.
OBD BEAD resources
OBD continues to add resources and update information on the OBD BEAD webpage as it becomes available. These and additional updates include:
- Updated NTIA BEAD FAQs (1/6/2026).
- Environmental and permitting resources, including: Environmental Historic Preservation (EHP) Requirements (PDF); NEW Sample Project Descriptions and Maps for BEAD EHP Review; NTIA Permitting Needs Checklist (PDF); and NTIA Local Permitting Importance and Challenges and Strategies (PDF).
- Minnesota’s Broadband Update webinar recording and slides from December 17, 2025 discussing BEAD, Line Extension, and expectations for broadband in Minnesota in 2026.
The status of BEAD nationally can be followed on NTIA’s BEAD Progress Dashboard.
Broadband in the news
- A press release reports Rural St Louis County is getting better broadband through BEAD and Mediacom and quotes OBD’s Executive Director Bree Maki, “For more than a decade, the residents and leaders of North Star and Pequaywan Townships have done everything right—planning, organizing, and advocating for better connectivity—and this investment finally delivers on that work…BEAD funding is designed to reach exactly these kinds of rural communities that the market alone has not served, and this project will help to ensure families, businesses, and first responders in St. Louis County have access to reliable, affordable, high-speed internet that meets today’s needs and tomorrow’s opportunities.”
- An OBD Low-Density Population Grant will go towards areas of Balkan Township in St. Louis County through Paul Bunyan Communications GigaZone fiber expansion.