Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program

The Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program provides funding for broadband infrastructure and the preparation of a plan by each Eligible Entity (state) for how to achieve “Internet for All”. Federal BEAD program funding for broadband infrastructure deployment included a minimum of $100 million for each state. Allocations to each state above the initial funding were announced on June 26, 2023. Minnesota will receive a total of $651,839,368. The individual state amounts were calculated from the number of unserved locations (locations without reliable broadband service of at least 25Mbps download and 3Mbps upload) within each state based on new maps that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) developed as well as the number of such locations in areas deemed to be high cost.

Additional information on the federal BEAD program is available on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) website.

BEAD Timeline
BEAD Timeline

The process for receiving and awarding BEAD funding has multiple steps and spans multiple years:

November 15, 2021

IIJA signed into law

May 16, 2022

BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) issued

May 30, 2023

FCC issues new broadband data maps which are basis for BEAD funding

June 26, 2023

State/Eligible Entities funding allocations announced by NTIA

July 12, 2023

Minnesota submits BEAD Five Year Action Plan

December 22, 2023

Minnesota Submits Initial Proposal Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

May 29, 2024

NTIA approves Minnesota's Initial Proposal Vol. 1

Summer 2024

BEAD Challenge process
- June 25 - July 15, BEAD Challenge informational sessions held across the state and online
- 7/22/24 to 8/21/24, 30 days to submit challenges
- 8/22/24 to 9/20/24, 30 days to rebut
- 9/21/24 to 10/21/24 30 days for OBD to adjudicate
Expected Fall 2024

Vol. 2 under review by NTIA, expect approval by Fall 2024

Expected Fall 2025

365 days after Vol. 2 is approved, Minnesota's Final Proposal is due (contains selected subgrantees)

Expected Fall/Winter 2025

NTIA must approve Minnesota's Final Proposal before contracts can be executed

Expected 2030

Upon fully executed contracts, subgrantees (broadband providers) have four years to build network and deliver broadband service
BEAD Challenge Process
BEAD Challenge Process

Minnesota's NTIA BEAD Challenge provides an opportunity to finalize the funding eligibility and status of Minnesota's broadband serviceable locations and community anchor institutions.

The BEAD Challenge process will be the only opportunity for local governments, nonprofits and providers to "challenge" the status of a location as eligible or ineligible for federal BEAD funding.

Eligible entities that can participate in the BEAD Challenge process are: Local and Tribal Governments; Nonprofits; and Broadband Service Providers. NTIA requirements do not allow the public to submit challenges independently. However, the public CAN submit information about their location such as speed tests or documentation of lack of service.

Locations eligible for BEAD funding include:
- Unserved locations: Having broadband Service* with speeds of less than 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload.
- Underserved locations: Having broadband service with speeds less than 100/20 Mbps, but above 25/3 Mbps.
Locations ineligible for BEAD funding are:
- Served locations: Having "Reliable Broadband*" Service with a speed of at least 100/20 Mbps.
*For federal funding, "Reliable Broadband" includes broadband delivered over licensed fixed wireless.

Following the completion of the BEAD Challenge Process, only locations classified as unserved and underserved will be eligible for BEAD grant funding.

See Additional Resources for the CSV download.

Pre-challenge Virtual Information Session

Information session providing details and opportunity to answer community questions on the BEAD Challenge process.
- Presentation
- Recording
BEAD Challenge Portal
View the Minnesota BEAD Challenge Portal.

Minnesota’s BEAD Challenge process has moved into the third and final, Adjudication phase.

For reference, resources for using the Challenge portal included:
- Resident Quick Start Guide, PPTX
- How to Use the Map & Register for an Account, PPTX
- MN Broadband Office Walkthrough, PPTX
- Minnesota Broadband Navigator User Guide, PDF updated 7/15
- How to Register for an Account, PDF
- How to Take a Speed Test, PDF
- How to Report Availability Evidence, PDF
Volumes 1 & 2
Volumes 1 & 2

The Office of Broadband Development submitted their Initial Proposal draft for the BEAD program to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on December 22, 2023. Minnesota's BEAD Initial Proposal, Volume 1 was approved on May 30, 2024.

The three priorities for use of BEAD funding are for states to first ensure that all locations that do not have reliable broadband service of at least 25 Mbps download and 3Mbps upload are served; second, to ensure that underserved locations (those with reliable service of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload but not at or above 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload) are served; and third, to ensure 1G symmetrical speeds to all Community Anchor Institutions. If a state can show that it has allocated funding to achieve the three identified priorities, then a state may use its BEAD funding for non-deployment projects. Minnesota's Initial Proposal provides more specific information on how it will use BEAD funding to achieve the priority goals and at this time, it is anticipated that Minnesota's full BEAD allocation will be necessary to meet the first two priority goals outlined by NTIA.

Volume 1
Volume 2
BEAD Five-year Action Plan
BEAD Five-year Action Plan

As Minnesota's eligible entity, the Office of Broadband Development also submitted the state's BEAD Five-Year Action Plan to NTIA on July 12, 2023.
Additional Resources
Additional Resources

General Resources
- Frequently Asked Questions
  - Commonly asked questions on the BEAD program, Challenge Process, and Challenge Portal.
- NTIA's BEAD Frequently Asked Questions
  - From NTIA, the following provide insight into the future steps of the BEAD process:
    - Pages 6-10, Program Overview and Eligibility questions 1.9, 1.18, and 1.19 to 1.26
    - Pages 41-42, Funding and Allocation Process questions 7.18 to 17.21
    - Pages 47-48, Initial Proposal questions 8.10 to 8.16
    - Pages 49-52, Cost Sharing and Matching Guidelines questions 9.1 to 9.13
    - Pages 53-56, Competitive Subgrantee Grants questions 10.1 to 10.6
    - Pages 61-64, Grant Award and Reporting Requirements questions 12.1 to 12.7
- Getting CostQuest Licenses for Fabric IDs
  - The CostQuest NTIA helpdesk will pause distribution of new fabric data requests starting on 7/31/24. CostQuest is doing this to prepare for distribution of the FCC release 06302024, version 5 to the NTIA Fabric license holders. CostQuest anticipates resuming new distribution requests by 8/15/2024.
- Unserved and Underserved locations used to prepare the preliminary list of BEAD eligible locations for the Broadband Navigator July 2024.
  - Unserved and underserved locations eligible for BEAD funding pending the results of the BEAD Challenge process, deduplication, true-up and NTIA approval. This file contains the location ID but no other identifying information on the location (i.e., address, latitude/longitude) in compliance with CostQuest licensing requirements. The file would need to be merged with the FCC's broadband fabric data to see the "whole picture." If you want to use the BEAD Map Challenge Data outside of the challenge portal, you will need to request access to the Fabric Data through the NTIA Internet for All program. NTIA has an agreement with CostQuest to allow entities to request access to this data for free through a Tier D or E license agreement. Instructions on how to obtain a Cost Quest Tier D or E license have been provided for the past several months by our office and the instructions are again provided above, Getting CostQuest Licenses for Fabric IDs.
- Eligible Community Anchor Institutions
  - List of eligible community anchor institutions (CAIs) that require qualifying broadband service and do not currently have access to such service, to the best of the Eligible Entity's knowledge.
BEAD Challenge
- Minnesota BEAD Challenge Process 2-pager
- NTIA BEAD model challenge process
- Map of BEAD un/underserved areas (Note: This map is before updates from pre-challenge modules AND deduplication from the state and most recent federal enforceable commitments.)
- Ineligible Fixed Wireless - Only Served Locations for BEAD
BEAD Challenge, office hours materials
- September 12
  - Presentation Slides
- September 5
  - Presentation Slides
- August 29
  - Presentation Slides
- August 22
  - Presentation Slides
  - AppGeo Portal Demonstration Recording
    - Review of the open rebuttal section and the ISP dashboard on the Challenge Portal
- August 15
  - Presentation Slides
- August 8
  - Presentation Slides
- August 1
  - Presentation Slides
  - Recording
    - Tutorial on using and understanding the portal's rebuttal dashboard.
- July 25
  - Presentation Slides
  - AppGeo Portal Demonstration Recording
    - Tutorial of challenge submissions for different entity types and bulk challenges.
- July 18
  - Presentation Slides
  - AppGeo Portal Demonstration Recording
    - Introduction to understanding the Challenge Portal/Broadband Navigator and registration.