<body><div>From the Office of Broadband Development…Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates<ul><li>Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, September meeting recap</li><li>Updates from NTIA on available funds for Native Entities</li><li>Digital Opportunity Update</li><li>Register for final BEAD Challenge office hours, Thursday Sept. 26th</li></ul>Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, September meeting recapDemonstration of broadband construction equipment and safety practices from TelCom Construction, LLC.The Governor’s Task Force met at the Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association in Brandon, MN the morning of September 24th. Gardonville’s CEO, and member of the Broadband Task Force, David Wolf, welcomed everyone with an introduction and an overview of work in the region, issues around security with data centers, and challenges of the work deploying broadband in rural Minnesota. Attendees from PCs for People and HealtheMed presented to the Task Force on their work, as well as Senator Aric Putnam, Chair of Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development and Senator Tory Westrom. Task Force subgroups provided updates and overviews of what they have been working on this year across: Affordability &amp; Digital Equity; Economic Opportunity &amp; Work Force Development; and Mapping, Policy, &amp; Funding.Thank you to David Wolf and Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association for hosting; Senator Putnam and Senator Westrom for attending and participating; and to TelCom Construction, LLC team members for a demonstration on broadband construction equipment and safety practices. More information on this and past meetings can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage.Updates from NTIA on available funds for Native EntitiesNational Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Director of Digital Equity, Angela Thi Bennett announced this week the opening of the application window for funding for Native Entities as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Digital Equity Capacity and Planning Grant programs.The announcement explains:<ul><li>From 9/25/2024 until 2/7/2025, Native Entities can apply to use these Capacity &amp; Planning Grant Program funds to carry out digital equity and inclusion activities consistent with the Digital Equity Act.</li><li>Funding for Native Entities will be determined through a competitive process.</li><li>Applicants must submit a single application, and may apply for either only Capacity Grant Funds, OR both Capacity and Planning Grant Funds. Standalone applications for Planning Grant Funds will not be accepted.</li></ul>Native Entities interested in applying can visit the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program: Native Entities to view the materials. OBD staff may be able to provide limited technical assistance. Contact deed.broadband.equity@state.mn.us for more informationDigital Opportunity UpdateThe National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) is coordinating the 8th annual Digital Inclusion Week (DIW) from Monday October 7th to 11th. DIW is a public engagement campaign intended to raise visibility of digital inclusion issues, celebrate digital inclusion successes, and mobilize advocates for future action. Over 500 organizations participated in last year’s DIW; organizations interested in participating this year can check out NDIA’s free DIW toolkits and resources for inspiration.Register for final BEAD Challenge office hours, Thursday September 26thOBD is offering the final office hours for the BEAD Challenge process this Thursday September 26th, registration linked below. The office hours will be a time to provide updates on the Challenge processes, and eligible challengers and community members with questions are encouraged to join. Previous recordings and office hours resources are available on the OBD BEAD webpage.</div></body>

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OBD Updates Sep 25: Task Force Mtg notes, funds for Native Entities, Office Hours Sep 26

Broadband Matters: Office of Broadband Development Updates. Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, September meeting recap. Updates from NTIA on available funds for Native Entities. Digital Opportunity Update. Register for final BEAD Challenge office hours, Thursday Sept. 26th. Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, September meeting recap. Demonstration of broadband...