Over the next 12 to 18 months, the vast majority of the $40 billion or in broadband deployment funding that U.S. Congress enacted in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will have been allocated to specific internet service providers (ISPs) for specific projects. Unless something goes wrong, all the roughly 6 million to 7 million BSLs targeted by the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will be included in some BEAD project. But the hardest part of the work will still lie ahead. For ISPs, that's the actual construction and operation of the broadband networks that will deliver universal broadband coverage throughout America. For state broadband offices, that's paying for and monitoring the coverage. State broadband offices need to distribute the BEAD funds, not all at once but as reimbursements or milestone-based fixed award subamounts. Then, they need to make sure the promised networks actually get built on time and to specs. Or, if not—and you can’t expect 100 percent success on the first try—states need to apply appropriate accountability and skillfully correct course.

The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development (OBD) received over $12 million from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to implement its Digital Opportunity Plan using Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funds. Through these funds, OBD aims to connect Minnesotans to digital equity information, resources, and––most importantly––each other. Broadly, these funds will be used to:

•  Pilot a Digital Opportunity Leaders Network to combine "local energy, regional expertise, and statewide continuity";
• Create a directory of Digital Opportunity resources; and
• Explore potential models for a program similar to the Affordable Connectivity Program, a statewide technology helpline, and a state-managed system to loan large-screen devices.

Here is how OBD plans to achieve its connectivity goals and set Minnesota up for a future of digital opportunity.

AT&T announced that it will withdraw its 5G home Internet product in New York rather than comply with the law that requires it to offer broadband rates as low as $15. The law went into effect recently when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the appeal for the New York law approved by the New York legislature in 2018. The Affordable Broadband Act requires internet service providers (ISPs) to offer broadband rates to low-income households of no more than $15 for 15 Mbps (rumored to soon to be 100 Mbps) or $20 for 200 Mbps. It’s pretty extraordinary when a huge company like AT&T walks away from a state over reduced profits. The company has $122 billion in revenues for the year ending September 2024, and it’s impossible to believe that the company can’t afford to give a discount to a few of its customers. It’s hard to think that New York regulators won’t quickly react to AT&T walking away from existing FWA customers. This decision might ultimately cost the company more in fines than what it would lose from customer discounts.

This third Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will invest in software solutions for industry verticals and integration automation to further drive Open Radio access Network (Open RAN) adoption. It is comprised of two specific research focus areas:

1. Develop software solutions that leverage data made available through Open RAN interfaces and/or capitalize on Open RAN-specific innovations, such as the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), to generate energy efficiencies, cost savings, productivity gains, or other value for industry verticals (e.g., utilities, mining, manufacturing, unmanned aviation).
2. Develop software solutions that reduce the cost and complexity of multi-vendor integration through automation.