St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today released the state's draft final proposal for using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to expand broadband availability.

The proposal would extend broadband access to 75,000 Minnesota homes and businesses, covering every location eligible for BEAD funding in the state. DEED is accepting public comment on the proposal for seven days, after which it will finalize and submit the plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval before the end of the year. Construction could begin in late spring or early summer 2026.

"Fast broadband will be a welcome resource for the thousands of Minnesota residents and businesses who will soon have access," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "This funding will help us connect thousands of Minnesota families and businesses to the internet in new, important ways."

DEED's proposal will use an estimated $381 million in federal BEAD grants and utilize a mixture of broadband technology, with more than half of covered locations utilizing fiber optic. Eligible locations are classified by the BEAD program as unserved (with broadband speeds slower than 25 megabits [Mbps] per second download and 3 Mbps upload) or underserved (with speeds slower than 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload).

"We are excited that 75,000 Minnesotans will soon have faster broadband because of BEAD," said Office of Broadband Development Executive Director Bree Maki. "We are grateful to our internet service provider partners for their hard work and commitment to the Minnesotans we all serve. We will continue working hard, together, to make smart, effective investments so every Minnesotan can access broadband."

The Office of Broadband Development will host regional, in-person informational sessions on the draft final proposal over the next week. These sessions will provide an overview of the proposal, steps for public comment and next steps for BEAD in Minnesota.