The MN Task Force heard from Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance, which is a group of local government work who are working on getting better broadband. Each member has its own solution; they have learned a lot on the road that’s useful for other communities, policymakers and providers. There was also a big update on BEAD, which was mostly an explanation of where we are, where Minnesota has run into hiccups and what we expect in the future. December 7 is the next expected deadline.

The committees met in small groups to discuss their portions of the annual report. I listened to the Mapping, Policy, and Funding group until they were done; then joined the group I was recording, Affordability Economic Opportunity, and Workforce Development. Where they were talking about recommendations for education-related anchor tenants and about permitting.

10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. – Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and approval of minutes from October Task Force meeting.

10:05 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. – Minnesota Public Broadband Alliance presentation and overview of work.

Questions:

• Looking at challenges ahead – how can the Task Force help?
  We found out there was limited oversight for broadband with RDOF. There isn’t a clear regulatory agency in MN. We need one for things like ground station satellite permits in MN or RDOF.
  Could we replicate programs where the state can work with the townships as counties are running out of money? We need more 0 interest payback loans over 10 years.
  In your report – can you make others aware of the Alliance? We are happy for members and questions. We have expertise to share.
• Is the ask that the state create a low interest loan program for townships to support broadband infrastructure construction?
  Would be nice to have the state offer a zero interest loan – possibly to act as a border to boarder match.
  Dep of Ag has a low interest loan. So there is a model for it.

10:50 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Office of Broadband Development (OBD) overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD) and Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment updates from Jennifer Frost (State/Federal Programs and Compliance Manager, OBD).

• OBD attends Alliance meetings regularly and finds it helpful
• Economic Development, led my Kevin McKinnon and found out
  • People was reliable and continuous broadband coverage. Seems to be lacking
  • Need better coordination between infrastructure and housing – especially new housing and multi-unit dwellings
  • Local communities need local champions – like Blandin had
  • Need an alternative to Starlink for businesses
• Questions Economic Development they had for OBD
  • Looking for more data on outages
  • Take rates
  • How do businesses escalate their need for broadband
  • Served communities forget about unserved areas – but the unserved areas feel it daily
• Pew did research on locates  – it’s a national issue but MN got cited for legislative work on the topic
• Broadband Now did a report on MN broadband speeds.
  https://broadbandnow.com/research/best-states-with-internet-coverage-and-speed
• Thinking about upcoming legislative changes. Expecting changes in the Ag committee.
• Update on Border to Border
  • Closed 7 more projects
  • 84 currently active projects – 33 are completing
  • 51 projects still in the mix – most Line Extension and should be done by end of 2026
  • Treasury extended deadlines due to desk review – but hope to be done by end of June 2027
• BEAD – still waiting on updates and changes. Providers are running into other issues.
  • We are a county-based system and that’s an issue when it comes to getting county participation meshing with federal policies and procedures.
  • Minnesota and Federal speeds goals are different and OBD is trying to work with that.

 

11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Task Force updates and discussion on progress on the 2026 annual report including:

• Share-out from subgroup leads, Melissa Wolf and Marc Johnson on where recommendations are at and other discussion from the meetings
• Discussion on Task Force wide recommendation around speed goals and other items to include for “long term” goals for the report (i.e. Data centers, AI, etc.)

Notes from Mapping, Policy, and Funding Subcommittee:

Text shared:

Invest in mapping – Support data-driven and inclusive broadband deployment by continuing to invest in Minnesota ‘s broadband mapping efforts. Accurate, transparent data and continually updated broadband data are essential to inform policy decisions, identify remaining service gaps, and target investments where they are needed most. As federal and state broadband deployment programs advance and projects are completed, mapping and data collection are critical to evaluating broadband availability, service levels, adoption trends, and progress toward the state’s broadband goals. This information is necessary to assess the impact of deployment efforts, inform strategies that align with community needs, prioritize unserved and underserved areas, strengthen coordination among state, local (is this to imply the ISPs, or should they be specifically listed?), community, and nonprofit partners. Ongoing investment in broadband mapping and data collection is a critical need to provide policymakers, internet service providers, and communities with the reliable information necessary to assess progress, identify areas requiring additional attention, and guide future broadband planning and funding decisions.

Invest in state broadband programs – Invest (are we asking for a certain dollar amount? Should it be listed as to what the investment should be?) in Minnesota’s state broadband programs, including the Line Extension Program, which has demonstrated success in helping connect unserved households. Although the BEAD program is expected to expand broadband access throughout Minnesota, federal funding alone is not expected to address all remaining connectivity needs. As implementation progresses and federal funding is exhausted, gaps may emerge that require additional attention and investment. Ongoing state broadband funding is essential to addressing remaining unserved locations, respond to future connectivity challenges, and ensure continued progress toward universal access to reliable broadband service for households and businesses across the state.

Questions

• We don’t have a dollar amount to suggest for mapping or programs – but that seems OK since the funding hasn’t been approved yet.