FFB Week 35: Best Practices When Dealing with BEAD Complexities

FFB Week 35: Best Practices When Dealing with BEAD Complexities

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program promises to transform connectivity in underserved communities — but securing funding has been anything but simple. In this episode of Fiber for Breakfast, Bree Maki, Director of Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development, joined Gary Bolton, President & CEO of the Fiber Broadband Association, to share real-world challenges and best practices for navigating BEAD. From navigating tight timelines and shifting rules to breaking down the complexities providers face — and how the industry is adapting.

Navigating BEAD’s Tight Timelines and Shifting Rules

Like every state, Minnesota has been working under significant pressure to meet BEAD deadlines. The NTIA’s shifting definitions of “unserved” and “underserved”—particularly the treatment of fixed wireless—complicated the process. Minnesota’s statutory language focuses on wireline service, creating a disconnect between federal eligibility and state programs.

Educating communities and providers about those distinctions has been critical. As Maki noted, “For the average person who just wants broadband, reliable broadband, including myself, on fixed wireless, it is challenging to explain that technically you have it by definition with the BEAD program.” Despite these challenges, Minnesota identified roughly 76,000 eligible BEAD locations, setting the stage for the next wave of projects and investment.

Building on a Strong State Foundation

Minnesota has been preparing for this moment for over a decade. Minnesota’s Border Grant Program began by offering up to a 50% subsidy to expand connectivity in rural areas. As the state pushed into more sparsely populated communities, the program evolved to cover up to 75% of eligible costs. “There is a need out there,” explains Maki. “But there’s also a desire for internet service providers to meet their neighbors and customers where they’re at and making sure that they have the tools they need to be successful wherever they live in the state,” she stated.  These grants consistently attracted more demand than funding allowed, proving both the need and the willingness of providers to serve difficult-to-reach communities.

The Capital Projects Fund (CPF), administered through the Department of the Treasury, also proved highly effective. In Minnesota, CPF dollars flowed quickly through existing state programs, enabling providers to move projects forward with minimal delays. Nearly all CPF projects in Minnesota have been fiber-based, reinforcing the state’s commitment to a future-proof infrastructure.

As Maki pointed out, the contrast between CPF and BEAD is stark: while CPF dollars were distributed seamlessly, BEAD has been slowed by the pursuit of “perfection,” and depending on your state, perfection is defined in many different ways.

Balancing Cost, Technology, and Equity

Minnesota estimates it would take roughly $1.2 billion to deliver fiber universally—a figure nearly double the state’s $652 million BEAD allocation. As a result, officials have had to balance cost-effectiveness with equity goals.

While fiber remains the preferred solution, especially for meeting latency and speed requirements, Maki emphasized the importance of maintaining a technology-agnostic approach. The state continues to weigh how to use non-deployment funds for critical priorities, including emergency services, climate resiliency, and workforce standards.

Tribal consultation is another central focus. Six tribal nations in Minnesota have eligible BEAD locations, and state officials have made it clear that no projects will move forward without proper engagement and consent – making sure that low-cost plans are evaluated within these communities. “I was not going to set that without speaking with our tribal nations as that would be inappropriate. That’s simply how we do business in Minnesota,” Maki said.

The Role of Private Investment and AI Readiness

Beyond federal and state programs, Minnesota is also seeing steady private-sector investment in fiber expansion. While BEAD has dominated headlines, providers continue to self-finance builds, recognizing both community demand and long-term business value.

Looking forward, Maki highlighted opportunities in emerging areas like AI infrastructure. With its access to water, utility assets and cooler climate, Minnesota’s natural resources position the state well for data center builds and other AI-related facilities. Broadband will be essential to supporting those efforts, making today’s investments in resilient networks even more critical.

Click here to listen to the full episode or find previous episodes of Fiber for Breakfast.