On February 24, the City of North St Paul will hold a special election on an $18.5 million bond to build a fiber-optic network to provide high-speed Internet, telephone and cable services as a utility in North St. Paul, similar to electric and garbage services.

I want to include a couple of quotes in the Pioneer Press from local leaders on the FTTH plan because I think they are so good:

In 1888, when railroads came to North St. Paul, 25 new businesses followed, creating a boomtown, City Council Member Bob Bruton said. A second wave of growth came with the highway, years later.

“The idea here is to become the best-connected small town in Minnesota,” he [Wally Wysopal] said. “We’re not getting into this for the sake of providing lower rates for cable or telephone but to provide a service that’s superior to anything that’s being contemplated today.”

I’ve been in a few conversations lately, related to broadband and other issues, where we decided that one of the problems we face today is that we in Minnesota and we in the US are no longer working to be number one – and aiming to be number 15 is kind of sad. So I’m thrilled to hear about someone who is going for the gold. I can’t wait to hear how the vote goes.