Today the Office of Broadband Development held a session on Broadband Development Training Series: Navigating PLUS (Permitting, Land Use, and State Systems). Below are the slides and notes on questions.

Questions

Q: Shouldn’t one clue have been that gas line should have been in yellow conduit, not blueish/green?
A: Yes

Q: Hi Mike, thank you so much for joining us today. Two questions; 1) How is the MNOPS preparing for the massive increase of broadband deployment construction projects that will hit the MNOPS and 811 locate program that will be part of the next four years for the BEAD program? 2) As new entrants to the broadband market, rural electric coops have experienced significant delays due to incumbent telco/ISP not providing timely locates. How will MNOPS insure BEAD broadband projects are not delayed due to incumbent telco/ISP locate delays?

A: We get a lot of communications. There has been an impact.
We are trying to mitigate locate delays. But yet, projects are been delayed.

Q Mike would it be a good use of BEAD funds to pay for more locators, are there enough locators available in the market or is there a skill shortage?
A: We ask that regularly. We can recommend but not demand.

Q: Is MNOPS able to proactively work with MN DEED to ensure locating companies in rural Minnesota are staffed appropriately to support the massive fiber construction about to begin?

A: We are happy to partner

Notes:

Resources are available on the Line Extension Connection Program (https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/extension/) and federal BEAD program (https://mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/bead/). 

Sign up for the April 23 session: https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/6a5c02c3-d4f8-48fb-9ad5-c6f137b98955@eb14b046-24c4-4519-8f26-b89c2159828c  

Registration for the 4/29 Broadband Summit site is available here: mn.gov/deed/events/connecting/