SF 2846

as introduced - 91st Legislature (2019 - 2020) Posted on 04/26/2019 09:54am

A bill for an act
relating to broadband; modifying the border-to-border broadband development
grant program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 116J.395, subdivision
5.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, 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 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 new text begin :
new text end

new text begin (i) new text end 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; new text begin and
new text end

new text begin (ii) ensure each broadband service provider commits to disclose on customer billing
statements the average broadband speed the customer receives from the broadband service
provider during a billing period;
new text end

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

(11) any additional information requested by the commissioner.