Minnesota’s Broadband Expansion Faces New ‘Roadblock’

March 13, 2025 – Minnesota’s push to bring high-speed internet to every corner of the state could hit a roadblock. A new state law requires broadband technicians to complete 40 hours of training and pass a state-approved exam no later than June 30, 2025.

Some telecom leaders warn the mandate could stall expansion projects, especially in rural communities, just as Minnesota prepares to receive an historic $652 million in federal broadband funding.

The law “does nothing to improve safety or efficiency,” argued Melissa Wolf, executive director of the Minnesota Cable Communications Association, and Brent Christensen, president and CEO of the Minnesota Telecom Alliance, in a recent opinion piece.

“The state must not disqualify thousands of experienced broadband installers from doing the work of connecting homes with broadband,” they wrote. “If the law stays as is, thousands of homes and businesses–especially in rural and underserved areas–will remain disconnected.”

The potential slowdown comes on the heels of concerns about the $42.45 billion federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program. Christensen previously expressed concerns that the program’s structure–and Minnesota’s prevailing wage requirements–might deter in-state providers from participating. 

“My members are telling me they’re not going to participate,” he said. “Who in their right mind would spend tens of thousands of dollars engineering a plan that’s dependent on waivers?”

Despite the apprehension over the program, Wolf and Christensen called the $652 million in BEAD funds “once-in-a-generation” and crucial for closing the digital divide.

Some lawmakers are backing a bipartisan fix that would delay the training requirement’s implementation by one year and reduce its scope. Wolf and Christensen say that’s vital to ensuring broadband projects remain on track.

“We can either fix a deeply flawed law and keep Minnesota’s broadband workforce in the field,” the pair wrote, “or let unnecessary bureaucracy sideline those workers and leave thousands of Minnesotans in the digital dark.”