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The following updates are available from the Office of Broadband Development:
- Thank you to all who participated in the Celebrating 10 Years of Connecting One Minnesota-Broadband!
- Call for Border-to-Border and Low-Density Broadband Applications and informational webinar
- Digital Opportunity Data Dive
- Join the Office of Broadband Development!
Thank you to all who participated in the Celebrating 10 Years of Connecting One Minnesota-Broadband event!
Thank you to all who attended the Celebrating 10 Years of Connecting One Minnesota-Broadband event. It was a time to reflect and celebrate state broadband achievements, which are made possible by Minnesota’s Internet Service Providers, digital equity advocates, local governments, non-profits, and past and present Governor’s Task Force on Broadband members. A special thanks to Kathryn de Wit, the event’s Master of Ceremonies, Commissioner Matt Varilek for closing remarks, and in-person and virtual attendees.
Congratulations to Diane Wells, Deputy Director of the Office of Broadband, for receiving the 2024 Broadband Champion Award for her service and dedication to broadband access and equity to Minnesota.
 Commissioner Matt Varilek and OBD's Deputy Director Diane Wells and Director Bree Maki
Call for Border-to-Border and Low-Density Broadband Applications and informational webinar
The Minnesota Broadband Grant Program is a competitive grant award cycle for funds appropriated by the 2023 legislature. The grant application for the 2024 round will be available on March 12, 2024. The Grant Instructions and Application Guide can be found on DEED's website and under the "2024 Application Process" tab. More information on the program and eligibility can be downloaded here.
All applications must be submitted to DEED on or before the application deadline of May 10, 2024, no later than 1:30 p.m. Central Time.
An information webinar will be held Thursday March 21 at 11 a.m. Central Time. In the webinar, staff will provide background on the Broadband Infrastructure Development grant programs, walk through the application requirements, and give an overview of the application process utilizing DEED’s Grants Management System. At the end of the session, there will be time for questions. While not required, prospective applicants are encouraged to participate in the information session.
The Digital Opportunity Data Drive
Over half of Minnesota’s 5.8 million residents live in the Twin Cities Metro, which represents just 3.5% of the state’s land area. The rest of Minnesota’s 44.9% residents—nearly 2,605,000 people—live in the 96.5% of Minnesota’s land located outside of the Metro. This includes 80 counties and 10 Native Nations.
Broadband availability varies drastically between Metro and Greater MN counties. In October 2023, 22 Minnesota cities in Greater MN lacked access to 25/3. Following this pattern, 91.5% of Metro households reported subscribing to broadband internet service compared to 66.8% in Greater MN. In surveys conducted by Aitkin and Pine Counties, 51% and 42% of residents expressed their home connection was too slow to do what they needed. This rural disconnect is heightened by the extended distances people may need to travel to access a public library or other location with free public Wi-Fi.
Have some numbers you’d like OBD to research? Please contact Hannah Buckland, Digital Equity Program Lead, at hannah.buckland@state.mn.us.
Join the Office of Broadband Development!
We are hiring – join our team to work to connect communities, providers, regional support organizations, and state and federal programs with each other and the resources they need to improve broadband access and use in Minnesota: Management Analyst Staff Specialist - Broadband Financial Analyst - Job ID 74568, or Apply Here, through March 18th
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