By Corian Zacher
With $65 billion on its way to states across the US, including over $651 million to Minnesota, state leaders introduced legislation that would reduce restrictions on municipal broadband by removing requirements that municipal broadband networks not compete with private Internet service providers and that 65% of local voters approve the proposal.
If passed, Minnesota would join states like Colorado, which removed local voting requirements for municipal networks in 2023 by repealing the state’s ban on public networks. Likewise, the state policy change opened the door for municipally-owned networks like Nextlight in Longmont to expand beyond city limits into neighboring communities. In a March 2024 press release, NextLight’s executive director Valerie Dodd said that “As a city-owned network, we always want to make sure we’re using our community’s resources wisely in supporting and growing NextLight. We’re confident that this is the right time to expand, and we will continue to take further steps as it makes sense for the network and the community.”
With the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) on the horizon, municipal broadband networks are filling important gaps by addressing affordability, which is commonly cited as the top barrier to home Internet connections. An article about municipal broadband by Sean Gonsalves outlines models from Fort Collins, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Pharr, Texas; and Hillsbury, Oregon, as possible examples that communities can look to when addressing affordability.
The amended Minnesota state law would strike non-competition and voter approval requirements. Updated, the law would read:
“The council of a municipality shall have power to make the following improvements:…To improve, construct, extend, and maintain facilities for Internet access and other communications purposes.”
Next Century Cities submitted letters to Committee Leadership and House Leadership before a hearing before the Committee on State and Local Government Finance and Policy. Most recently, the bill was re-referred to Commerce, Finance, and Policy. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate on February 14, 2024 and referred to Commerce and Consumer Protection.
