Monthly Archives: October 2008

IP VCR

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Its hard to believe the LCTN has only had the IP VCR for a year. The tool that allows us to record a videoconference has been used daily since we installed it. Most people now ask if the conference is going to be recorded as they have a conflict with the current date and time of the original conference or they want others to watch the conference.

We used it daily for our Chinese classes allowing students who missed the class or those who wanted to see the lecture again, a chance to view the course from their home computer.

Whats really hard is to tell someone we can not record an event, like the total Knee replacement surgeries due to limitaions placed on us by the provider.

The IP VCR seemlessly integrates into our videoconferencing MCU. The MCU can connect up to 20 videoconferencing sites and allows us to set up the IP VCR to record as soon as the connection is made to all sites.

Thanks Blandin on providing us with the grant funds to be able to purchase this wonderful piece of equipment!

Pete R

LCTN

light speed communityThe Blandin Foundation is supporting four standout broadband programs through the Light Speed program. The program’s purpose is to stimulate the deployment of bandwidth intensive applications that connect local institutions to area resident’s home. This post comes from a Light Speed community leader.

Minnesota Online Citizen Engagement & Media Projects

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We’re looking for Minnesota bloggers and other online community promoters/creators. If you maintain or know of a Minnesota-focused site, please let us know (or add your site to Delicious and tag it with mnvoices). Also please consider joining our email-based list of folks maintaining these community resources.

Here’s the official description…

The Blandin Foundation (http://www.blandinfoundation.org) and E-Democracy (http://www.e-democracy.org/) have teamed to promote and support Online Citizen Engagement & Media Projects in rural Minnesota. To begin to promote these Minnesota Voices we are compiling a list of rural, citizen-led online projects including blogs, online discussions, YouTube channels, Flickr groups, wikis, and more. You can see a list of the MN Voices resources we have found here: http://delicious.com/tag/mnvoices

Our next step is to try to support the citizens maintaining these tools. To that end, we are creating a citizen media and online engagement community of practice online – in other words, an email-based discussion list where Minnesota Voices can meet and talk about issues that interest them – be it cross-promoting each other’s work, technical assistance, opening the door to collaboration, or simply meeting people with a shared interest in Minnesota-based citizen engagement. You can learn more about the list here: http://e-democracy.org/citizenmedia

So why are we writing to you? Because we would really like to focus on rural voices and many of you are the rural voices. So, if you know of any citizen-based resources we should add to our list, please let us know. Our goal is to be comprehensive and we are happy to hear of new additions. Also, if you maintain a site or know of someone who does and might like to join our Citizen Media Online Group, please feel free to join or invite others to join.

Every attempt will be made to invite owners of the sites we find to join the list – but your help in compiling the list and spreading the word is greatly appreciated.

With a focus on community resources, I thought I’d try to mention one or two a week from the Delicious list, starting with The West Central Blogger: Stories that celebrate and inform West Central Minnesota.

The blog is maintained by the West Central Initiative, a foundation that serves to improve west central Minnesota through funding, programs and technical assistance. I love the focus on the area. Sometimes the stories are personal – not as in embarrassingly voyeuristic, rather they highlight the thoughts or talents of an individual. Other posts focus on area events – upcoming or past. The blog stared last February and appears to have 6-12 posts a month. Some posts interest me because I have an interest in community and economic development; some interest me as a mom.

Update on White Space

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I’ve just returned from a MEA break in Preston Minnesota. We went to see the Niagara Caves. We found a hotel nearby with broadband and a pool. For better or worse, I ended up using the pool more than the broadband. So, I’m a little behind.

White space use is a rising issue. I’ve been following it a bit. It seemed as if the tests didn’t go well, then they did. Apparently they went well enough that the FCC released a report on Wednesday and is expected to endorse use of white space with a vote on November 4, 2008.

The white space will be used for high-speed Internet access nationwide devices. So that’s kind of cool for anyone with an iPhone – but it’s also a great motivator for anyone looking to create the next iPhone. That is why companies such as Google, Microsoft, HP, Motorola, and Dell have lobbied hard for this.

Most of the articles I read (I’ll paste the citations below) were pretty happy about this move, but then I read broadband-focused resources. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is not so happy with this move. They are afraid that the activity in the white spaces will impact their broadcasting. Last Friday they filed an emergency request for public comment on the issue. The NAB is also claiming that the FCC is misinterpreting their own research.

NetworkWorld: FCC chairman gives support for use of ‘white spaces’
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/101507-fcc-white-spaces.html

Washington Post: FCC Chair Wants to Go Forward With Use of White Spaces
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2008/10/fcc_chair_wants_to_go_forward.html

FreePress: Big Win Ahead for White Spaces
http://www.freepress.net/node/45058

GigaOM: FCC Gives Whites Spaces a Boost
http://gigaom.com/2008/10/15/fcc-gives-whites-spaces-a-boost/

Commerce Times: Broadcasters Air White Space Grievances
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/Broadcasters-Air-White-Space-Grievances-64860.html

The Industry Standard: FCC white spaces report misses the mark, groups say
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/10/17/fcc-white-spaces-report-misses-mark-groups-say

Cool Tool for Virginia

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I just read in Government Technology about their Community Broadband Toolkit. The toolkit is helpful to communities who want to research and create a broadband strategy in their community. It is particularly helpful for communities in Virginia as it suggests funding options that may only be available in Virginia and it may not cover issues that are prominent in other areas. (What to do in the extreme cold and mountains of snow in Minnesota for example aren’t really covered.) But it does cover a lot.

Here’s the outline of the toolkit components:
 
Community Tool-kit

1. What does your community need?
a. Determine what you are trying to do
b. Determine what applications are of interest
c. Identify a “champion” to carry the ball
d. Learn from what others have done

2. How do you do it?
a. Determine Demand
b. Inventory assets
c. Determine existing broadband services
d. Determine the type of technology
e. Issue RFP/RFI or initiate PPEA
f. Collect responses and evaluate options for structuring the deal
g. Initiate negotiations/contract

3. Business Case Analysis
a. Reallocate existing telecom “spend”
b. Calculate “in-kind” contributions

4. How do you pay for it?
a. Use “Buy-Down Worksheet” to develop/experiment with models
b. Leverage federal funds already in play
c. Evaluate grant opportunities
d. Contact the Virginia Resource Authority to find out how to leverage VRA programs and funding(.pdf) or other funding options

5. How do you execute the process in a timely manner?

Qwest in trouble for early termination fees

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Qwest is in trouble for hurting their customers who have gone shopping for a new broadband provider. According to FierceTelecom, former Qwest customers in Minnesota and Washington (State) have taken Qwest to court in Seattle to challenge its practice of early termination fees for broadband services.

These guys had signed up for Qwest’s Price for Life service and decided life was a little too long. When they cancelled their orders they were charged $200. The Price for Life is really only two years but the customers claim that they didn’t sign a contract.

Skype – is it the killer app?

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I just read on IP Democracy that Skype is on a slow but steady rise. They are running into problems monetizing their services partially because the PC-to-PC calls are free, so it’s hard to make it up in volume. But the PC-to-phone calls do cost money. And the number of subscribers is rising.

I was a big Skype user last year when I was in Ireland. The quality of the calls is not always great – but the price is. But I think the reason Skype is slowing rising is because of Oprah.

Oprah now has guests join them the program via Skype. So now every Oprah fan knows what Skype is – that’s a lot of potential subscribers.

So in my quest for the killer app, Skype is a contender, partially because I like it and partially because with the sign of approval from Oprah I think they’ll have a critical mass of users soon. I have to add that the quality of service is always better on Oprah than it was for me in Dublin.

Daily Yonder looks at candidates on broadband

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You know what makes me happy? When a rural-focused publication highlights broadband on a regular basis. Well, the Daily Yonder has been doing just that. I think this is the third week in a row where they have had an article related to broadband.

The recent article (Two Candidates, Two Ways to Better Rural Broadband) does a great job outlining the similarities and differences in their attitudes toward tech policies. Their lead-in says it all:

Both presidential candidates have pledged to improve Internet access and technology training in rural America. Obama advocates legislation to make it happen; McCain trusts the free market to bring it about.

The author has done a great job distilling their individual takes on a number of broadband-related issues and policies:

  • Difference #1: Defining broadband
  • Difference #2: “Net neutrality”
  • Difference #3: Regional Disparities
  • Difference #4: Taxes and Fees
  • Difference #5: Emphasis and Administration
  • Difference #6: Education, Workers and Worker Training

Also the article is written in a way that would be beneficial to someone who doesn’t necessarily follow or completely understand the nuances of some of the issues.

On a semi-related note… Military folks can now request absentee votes by email. The vote still comes via traditional mail.

Bandwidth Planner for Schools

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Thanks to Mary Ann VanCura Library Develop Specialist Extraordinaire for sending me a head up on the Bandwidth Planner for schools. The coolest part is the bandwidth calculator – you put in your current Internet speeds and answer a series of question about the number of students and computers you have an how students and staff use computers – and they’ll tell you how much bandwidth you need – or where you current bandwidth is sufficient and where it isn’t.

You don’t have to be a CIO or CTO to complete the form. You do have to know what students are doing online to some degree – are they viewing movies or sending email. Also the answers are provided with a graphic so you don’t have to be a CTO to understand the answers either. In fact, this would be a great tool for a CTO to use to help communicate need to folks who aren’t as technical.

Bandwidth Planner also includes a few nice case studies on schools using broadband.

The Bandwidth Planner is part of a larger site called the School 2.0 eToolkit. I didn’t spend hours on the tool but it seems to be focused on helping educators learn about opportunities where technology can help the students learn in and out of the classroom. It reminds me of the ICN (Internet Community Networks) from years ago where we looked at how technology could get all community members to work together. In both tools you take a look at what a connection from the school to the local factory would mean; then extend that connection to the home and what are the implications for each party. While the focus is on the school, I think any community or economic developer would find this interesting.

Monticello’s FTTH Story

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Thanks to Lynne Dahl-Fleming for sending (and allowing us to reprint) the following summary of the Monticello ordeal! Over the last week I have seen Monticello’s story mentioned all over the web – including some European-based new sources. It has the potential to be a precedent-setting decision. OK, I don’t really know enough about law to claim that – but I do know that communities have been watching to see what happens and will move forward accordingly and in that way it will open doors.

You can always check out FiberNet Minnesota for more updates.

UPDATE and OVERVIEW – FIBERNET MONTICELLO
OCTOBER 14, 2008
__________________________________________________________

The original effort behind a city-wide fiber optic network in Monticello started in May 2005 by individual citizens and business leaders driven by the belief that control over our technology future is a key ingredient to economic prosperity. Today, nearly three-and-a-half years later, Monticello continues to push forward with that same drive to serve the economic development opportunities which are present when a municipality takes the initiative to serve the community in a new way involving technology as infrastructure.

The original goals of the community-owned and locally operated fiber project was to improve local economic development opportunities offering something that would differentiate the City of Monticello from neighboring communities. Technology is playing a key factor in how business grow itself and a technologically advanced infrastructure of a fiber optic network in the city limits could provide an attractive amenity for the city and become a consideration for why businesses would locate here. Bringing better paying jobs to the area would provide people a reason to move to Monticello, become residents and purchasing homes while living here. Moreover, if the city provided the infrastructure for its own fiber optic network it could control pricing and maintain a high level of customer service in order to provide citizens and businesses with a choice for services. The citizens voiced the need for a locally operated telecommunications company that was community owned, where the people had input into its operations on a local level in addition to competitive pricing. Change was on its way.

The only way for the city to be sure that its citizens and businesses will receive the type of fiber optic network and service that has been envisioned by FiberNet Monticello for the past three years was to build it themselves. The city felt it could not rely on any company to be sure it is done with competitive pricing and the exceptional customer service they had envisioned from the start of the project. The referendum vote indicated approval from the citizens who wanted a choice for services at competitive rates. FiberNet Monticello would be a community-owned and locally operated business providing a new way to receive telecommunication services in the City of Monticello.

The City of Monticello remains strong in its pursuit of a city-wide fiber optic network offering telecommunications services of Internet, telephone and cable TV to every home and business. While it currently moves forward with the smaller fiber loop build out for commercial data services of Internet only it still plans to complete the full scale project to include residential areas. The City Council remains true to the voice of the voting citizens who requested a choice and approved the city offering its own telecommunications services called FiberNet Monticello. The city’s project may have been delayed by the lawsuit but it is determined to forward with the full scale project serving residential customers as soon as the revenue bonds are released from escrow.

The support of the community has been critical in this endeavor. The City Council remains determined to deliver what it has always promised – a choice for services at a competitive rate without using taxpayer money. The choice to take service with FiberNet Monticello’s telecommunications business was designed to offer a technologically advanced 100% fiber optic network without using taxpayer dollars and a new way to receive the services of Internet, telephone and cable TV. The city remains strong in its efforts to complete this task and will move forward with FiberNet Monticello’s offerings to both residential and business user with service available to every home and business inside the city limits. This is what the citizens voted for and the city intends to deliver it.

Telehealth Tools for the Masses

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Thanks to Bill Coleman for sending me a great article from the New York Times on Zume’s the Zuri and other up and coming telehealth tools. The Zuri is a small handheld device that prompts users to take their pills on schedule and to keep track of health-related matters like diet and exercise.

The Zuri reminded me of the recent Lakewood Telemedicine update. They took are looking an implementing tools that will help monitor medical issues for patients and will allow monitoring to be accessed remotely – so a parent could check up on a kid at college or a kid could check up on an elderly parent. Or some days I must admit I’d like to check up to see how I’m doing!

The NY Times article pointed out that one beauty of the handheld device is that you can track symptoms or get reminders as you carry on with your day. The Times also mentioned a range of other services similar in one way or another to the Zuri – such as Google Health.

I can’t remember if I wrote about Google Health here but I looked into it this summer. Google has set up personal health portals. I would love to be able to print out shot records for the kids’ schools. (OK I guess that means I’d have to type it into the system, which isn’t going to happen.) It would be nice to see these tools take it a step forward where not only could you give the doctor access to you – but where you could get access to them or at least to your official health care records – for things like shot records.

Take that a step forward where these records can be shared all over the world – and it makes it easier for people to move from country to country. To borrow an image from Thomas Friedman, it makes use even flatter.

In my quest for the killer app – this is a definite contender!

Not a contender but a fun and semi-related application – Minnesota-based General Mills just created a series of video podcasts on healthy cereal. It’s a great way to impart health-related news. But even more than that it’s a great way for them to disseminate infomercials to partner (and other) sites. They have made it easy to embed the videos into your site – helping to boost the viral impact of the video. Here’s a sample and here’s a kind of helpful (not really) press release on the series.

Funding for Rural Projects

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Sometimes I wear a Minnesota Rural Partners hat. I help post their newsletter. This month I noticed a few funding opportunities that I thought might be used to promote or create broadband opportunities…

The Rural Initiative component of the Laura Jane Musser Fund supports collaborative and participatory efforts among citizens in rural communities in Minnesota. Grants are provided for programs that will help to strengthen rural towns and regions in the targeted states in a number of civic areas, including economic development, business preservation, arts and humanities, public space improvements, and education. The applicant community must have a population of 10,000 or fewer and must be able to demonstrate the rural characteristics of its location. Planning grants of up to $5,000 and implementation grants of up to $25,000 are provided. The application deadline is November 5, 2008. Complete funding guidelines are available on the Laura Jane Musser Fund’s website. Laura Jane Musser Fund: Rural Initiative

Rural Pharmacy Planning and Transition Grant applications are invited from rural communities and health care providers (hospital clinics, pharmacies, long term care or other health care facilities) by November 7. The program is intended to preserve access to prescription medication and the skills of a pharmacist in rural areas. Applications are online or contact Doug Benson at (651) 201-3842 or doug.benson@state.mn.us.

IDEA Competition – Northwest Minnesota’s first venture competition has $50,000 in cash awards that will be awarded to up to five winning ideas (annually). The first round of the competition closes November 15. Learn more at the website or contact Michelle Landsverk at 218-435-2834

President Bush signs Broadband Data Improvement Act

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President Bush signed the Broadband Data Improvement Act (S. 1492) into law. I’ve been tracking the progress of the bill.

Speed Matters wrote up the event. Blandin Strategy Board Member, Mike O’Connor wrote up the bill. Tech Dirt writes up the bill to talk about how the Senate gutted the bill; they took away funding.

I’m glad it passed. I’m glad that given everything else that going on that broadband is getting a little face time with policy makers. I do think that without funding, the most interesting parts of the bill are toothless – mostly I’d love to see the grants to identify barriers to broadband adoption that are part of the bill.

Internet helps promote New Ulm Oktoberfest

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Just a quick fun note from New Ulm. I’ll just paste the leading paragraph from an article in the local paper about how “Oktoberfest draws crowds”…

NEW ULM -Len and Sue Henkelman of Wausau, Wis., drove almost 300 miles to attend Oktoberfest this year in New Ulm.

“It’s just a good all around event. It’s just all in all – fun,” said Len Henkleman. “We saw it on the Internet and thought we’d come and take it in. It was well worth it.”

I work with a number of resorts and a couple chambers. I know that last summer was hard on a lot of folks because the price of gas kind of knocked the socks off potential visitors. Partially, the gas was killer and partially the gas is just one sign of rising cost of living.

This weekend I happened to have a conversation with other Brownie moms about how the Internet makes traveling easier. As the article above points out – it makes it easier to find out about events and cool things to visit. For another example, we found out about the Niagara Cave in Harmony, Minnesota from the Internet – we’re going to visit it over MEA. The Internet is a great promotional tool.

The second way the Internet helps is that I have found a hotel with a pool and broadband. So the kids can swim and I can work for at least part of the vacation. If I couldn’t get online, we couldn’t go. The other Brownie moms added that technology means we never get away – but I don’t feel that way. Sure I’m still tethered to work – but the chain is a lot longer and I like what I do – so truthfully I’d miss it. Also I couldn’t really enjoy 3 days away if I was thinking about the email piling up.

So in my quest to find the broadband killer app – planning and deploying a vacation is today’s winner. (Sorry the article didn’t come out last week; the Oktoberfest is over but New Ulm is still a great place to visit!)

Blandin Webinars

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Sorry for the not-so-early notice on the first webinar. I thought I posted this earlier this week.

Pre-Conference Webinars

Join us for one or all three of these FREE webinars sponsored by the Blandin Foundation!

This series is perfect for economic development commissioners or elected officials to learn more about telecommunications and its impact on economic development.

Register online at http://www.blandinfoundation.org/BBConf08/webinar.html  

“Get up to speed on Internet technologies and their impact on local economic development before attending the Blandin Broadband Conference in December. Participating in a webinar is both easy and convenient – give it a try.” – Bill Coleman, Webinar Moderator

Webinar Dates and Topics

October 22rd: Fiber to the HomeNetworks – Learn how this critical infrastructure can support economic vitality in your community. Get a better understanding of the costs and capabilities of community fiber networks, and how they can enable business, education, health care and quality of life. Presenter: David Russell of Calix.

November 5th: Wireless Technologies – Learn about emerging services that provide the increased mobility that business needs and citizens want. Hear about new wireless technologies that can extend broadband coverage into more rural areas. Presenter: Pete Borchert, Senior Market Analyst for Alltel Wireless.

November 19th: Broadband Policy – As a warm-up to our December conference, learn about the critical issues that the MN Broadband Task Force will be considering, including the role of the public sector in broadband network deployment, statewide video franchising and alternative network management practices (network neutrality, pricing, bandwidth and download caps). A panel of experts will provide perspective on each issue.

Webinar Times
8:30 – 9:30 AM

Webinar Instructions
Our webinars are internet and conference call based. It’s easy!

First, click this link to connect to us via the web: https://umconnect.umn.edu/blandinwebinar

Then, call in to the Conference Call line:
866-316-1519
Passcode: 14223904

Broadband comes up a little in Local Elections

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I’ve run across a couple of articles today that talk about local Minnesota elections and specifically mention broadband. I want to keep this post nonpartisan so I’m simply going to list and link to the articles I found. Also, there wasn’t anything particularly earth-shatteringly new in any of the articles – I just like to note the fact that broadband is coming up.

Rep Tim Walz of Mankato – “Government needs to help rural areas expand Internet access like years ago it did that for electricity, Walz said. The large empty areas between homes means electric cooperatives always will struggle without government aid, and the same is true to broadband, he said.”

Andy Welti 30B – a letter to the editor talks about Welti and the importance of the Broadband Task Force

I thought I’d be able to find more – sadly no; well not yet.