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HF 4180

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/22/2018 02:22pm

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.
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A bill for an act
relating to broadband; making certain satellite broadband providers eligible for
grants; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016, sections 116J.394; 116J.395,
subdivisions 2, 5, 7.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 116J.394, is amended to read:


116J.394 DEFINITIONS.

(a) For the purposes of sections 116J.394 to 116J.398, the following terms have the
meanings given them.

(b) "Broadband" or "broadband service" has the meaning given in section 116J.39,
subdivision 1, paragraph (b).

(c) "Broadband infrastructure" means networks of deployed telecommunications
equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed Internet access and other
advanced telecommunications services for end users.

(d) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of employment and economic development.

(e) "Last-mile infrastructure" means broadband infrastructure that serves as the final leg
connecting the broadband service provider's network to the end-use customer's on-premises
telecommunications equipment.

(f) "Middle-mile infrastructure" means broadband infrastructure that links a broadband
service provider's core network infrastructure to last-mile infrastructure.

(g) "Political subdivision" means any county, city, town, school district, special district
or other political subdivision, or public corporation.

(h) new text begin "Satellite broadband equipment" means a satellite dish or modem installed at a
broadband user's location in order to receive broadband service from a satellite broadband
provider.
new text end

new text begin (i) "Satellite broadband provider" means an entity that provides broadband service by
means of wireless signals transmitted between communication stations orbiting the earth
and satellite broadband equipment installed at a broadband user's location.
new text end

new text begin (j) "Satellite dish" means a parabolic aerial installed on a building exterior that receives
signals from and transmits signals to a satellite broadband provider's satellite communication
station orbiting the earth.
new text end

new text begin (k) new text end "Underserved areas" means areas of Minnesota in which households or businesses
lack access to wire-line broadband service at speeds of at least 100 megabits per second
download and at least 20 megabits per second upload.

deleted text begin (i)deleted text end new text begin (l)new text end "Unserved areas" means areas of Minnesota in which households or businesses
lack access to wire-line broadband service, as defined in section 116J.39.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 116J.395, subdivision 2, is amended to read:


Subd. 2.

Eligible expenditures.

Grants may be awarded under this section to fund the
acquisition and installation ofnew text begin :
new text end

new text begin (1)new text end middle-mile and last-mile infrastructure that support broadband service scalable to
speeds of at least 100 megabits per second download and 100 megabits per second uploaddeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) satellite broadband equipment installed on the premises of a broadband user located
in an unserved area that can support broadband speeds of at least 25 megabits per second
download and three megabits per second upload.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 116J.395, subdivision 5, is amended to read:


Subd. 5.

Application contents.

An applicant for a grant under this section shall provide
the following information on the application:

(1) the location of the project;

(2) the kind and amount of broadband infrastructure new text begin or satellite broadband equipment
new text end to be purchased for the project;

(3) evidence regarding the unserved or underserved nature of the community in which
the project is to be located;

(4) the number of households passed that will have access to broadband service as a
result of the project, or whose broadband service will be upgraded as a result of the project;

(5) significant community institutions that will benefit from the proposed project;

(6) evidence of community support for the project;

(7) the total cost of the project;

(8) sources of funding or in-kind contributions for the project that will supplement any
grant award;

(9) evidence that no later than six weeks before submission of the application the applicant
contacted, in writing, all entities providing broadband service in the proposed project area
to ask for each broadband service provider's plan to upgrade broadband service in the project
area to speeds that meet or exceed the state's broadband speed goals in section 237.012,
subdivision 1
, within the time frame specified in the proposed grant activities;

(10) the broadband service providers' written responses to the inquiry made under clause
(9); and

(11) any additional information requested by the commissioner.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 116J.395, subdivision 7, is amended to read:


Subd. 7.

Limitation.

(a) No grant awarded under this section may fund more than 50
percent of the total cost of a projectnew text begin or, for a grant to a satellite broadband provider, 50
percent of the total cost of satellite broadband equipment installed at user locations
new text end .

(b) Grants awarded to a single project under this section must not exceed $5,000,000.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end