Minnesota

Minnesota’s push to bring high-speed internet to every corner of the state could hit a roadblock.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced today that nearly 89,000 Minnesota homes and businesses could receive new high-speed broadband service through the state's $652 million federal Broadband Equity Access and Deployment allocation. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has formally accepted DEED's proposed map of final eligible locations that BEAD funding could serve.

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.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has recommended for award more than $250 million to 24 organizations to support digital skills and inclusion projects in communities across the country. The funding will support 24 projects across 39 states and territories. Awards will be issued following budget review and processing. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced more than $313 million in funding to connect rural residents, farmers and business owners in 18 states to reliable high-speed internet.

While Minnesota will be receiving $652 million from the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program to help fund broadband access projects across the state, many internet service providers might not opt-in over frustrations with the program. “My members are telling me they’re not going to participate,” said Brent Christensen, president and CEO of Minnesota Telecom Alliance. “The way that BEAD is structured.

In 2023, AT&T announced a 50/50 joint venture with the investment firm BlackRock to form an open-access fiber network company called Gigapower, with AT&T Fiber as the anchor tenant. The Communications Workers of America (CWA), which represents the majority of AT&T’s frontline workforce, has closely tracked the Gigapower build-out in several markets. This report is the first in a series of market spotlights looking at Gigapower’s deployments nationwide, and finds the following:

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved and recommended for award an application from Minnesota, allowing the state to request access to more than $12 million to implement its Digital Equity Plan. This funding comes from the $1.44 billion State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program, one of three Digital Equity Act grant programs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Minnesota will use the $12,033,288 in funding to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) announced $52 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 7,700 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota. The grant awards will help broadband providers expand high-speed broadband service in 24 counties across Minnesota. The grants come from two Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) programs: