On July 20, 2021, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners allocated up to $10M in federal funding to continue its support of the Connecting Hennepin initiative and established the Office of Broadband and Digital Inclusion to lead this work. Read the full news release.
Mission: The mission of the Office of Broadband & Digital Inclusion is to build and promote safe access to technology so that all residents of Hennepin County are empowered to thrive in the digital world.
Vision: We envision a county where every resident—regardless of income, background or location—can easily and safely use modern technology to help realize their life goals.
Digital navigators help you to become more comfortable with technology or learn online safety best practices.
Connect with a community partner and request their digital navigation services or attend one of their training activities.
Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC)
Lyndale Neighborhood Association
Minnesota International Chinese School
Urban Strategies – Heritage Park
These organizations provide discounted computers to qualifying individuals. Contact them for specific eligibility, available devices, and store hours.
Minnesota STAR Program - assistive devices for residents with disabilities to borrow or purchase.
Open Access Connections - free Lifeline phones and low-cost smartphones and free voicemail services for qualifying individuals.
Minnesota Telephone Assistance Plan - offers monthly discounts on landline telephone, cell phone, or broadband internet service.
Broadband and Digital Inclusion invests in infrastructure projects to resolve broadband gaps in underserved communities, areas with limited providers, and low-income neighborhoods with barriers to affordable broadband.
In this work we:
Specific broadband projects that have been approved for funding are:
Broadband and Digital Inclusion is working on a multi-year Digital Equity Plan. A draft will be made available for public review in early 2024. Subscribe to receive email updates at the bottom of the page.
Our work is also part of the state's Digital Opportunity Plan. The draft plan has been submitted to the National Telecommunication Information Administration (NTIA) for review. The draft and updates on the plan are on their Digital Opportunity webpage.
Minnesota’s Office of Broadband Development is also working on plans for how the state will use their Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program (BEAD) funds.
Broadband and Digital Inclusion builds and promotes safe access to technology so that all residents of Hennepin County are empowered to thrive in the digital world.
We envision a county where every resident—regardless of income, background or location—can easily and safely use modern technology to help realize their life goals.
The latest impact data is available through the pandemic response reporting.
"Having personal access to technology provides stability, security and makes it easier to navigate modern life."
"Access to technology is life changing."
"My three girls don’t share one laptop anymore."
"In six weeks, we had someone get a job, and a dozen connections to therapists and primary care."
"This will help my mother with her medical appointments."