Monthly Archives: February 2009

Amy Klobuchar in Pine City

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amykI was able to attend the meeting with Senator Klobuchar at Pine Technical College thanks to an invitation granted by former state Senator Becky Lourey. It was very interesting. Senator Klobuchar showed off her sense of humor by crediting my input at her St. Paul hearing with getting $9 billion for broadband in the stimulus package. 😉

Pine City and Pine Technical College should get some credit for working hard to improve broadband accessibility in the area. Pine City Schools are connected to the ECMECC school collaborative that has a robust network connecting school districts across the region; this network was done in collaboration with US Cable and possibly other providers. The community has an interesting partnership with Pine Technical College where the college serves as a hub for telecommunications. I am not sure of all the arrangements, but I think that it is unique. The City was smart to place conduit in the ground when it redid its main street and now they have fiber that connects the city, county and industrial park that connects back to the college. The community’s main concerns are affordability and access to Main Street businesses and accessibility into the rural areas of the region.

Becky Lourey has a great reputation as an entrepreneur and she runs a growing electronic medical records company in Askov and Bruno employing many local residents and serving clients across the country. Her business networks have great need for connectivity and security. While that connectivity is a challenge, they are making a go of it stretching the capabilities of the incumbent providers. As the only power user in that community, it is a challenge with today’s marketplace for get a provider to invest in the network and for the provider to then sell the service at an affordable price. This may be a great place for a DEED infrastructure grant to be used for telecommunications. Or maybe some stimulus money! In addition, Becky Lourey also cited the need for people in that area to be able to use broadband for distance learning. She said that for many, the connectivity price is not affordable.

On a separate note, I was reviewing the list of shovel ready projects that were submitted to the MN Ultra High Speed Task Force. One of those requests was from Qwest. Their proposal was to provide ubiquitous DSL coverage in their rural exchanges. There was no price tag on the Qwest proposal. I was also disappointed to see that the White Bear Lake Central Office was not on the list; my home in Mahtomedi is just a few blocks from White Bear Lake and there is no DSL service here. Pine City and other regional communities were on that list. Minnesota will have to determine what it wants for its future in statewide broadband. While a 1 Mb DSL connection would be a great improvement for those areas that now rely on satellite or dial-up, is this a big enough leap forward with yesterday’s technology to justify the investment?

Klobuchar To Visit Pine Tech – tomorrow (Wed Feb 18)

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I happen to be in that neck of the woods tomorrow so I plan on being there and will take notes. Here’s the latest info from the Red Rock On Air web site:

Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota, plans to visit Pine Technical College, Wednesday February 18th at 3 p.m. Klobuchar plans to discuss broadband accessibility.

In a statement released last week, Klobuchar said, “The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will jumpstart our economy in the near term while also building the foundation for longer-term prosperity.” Klobuchar added, “It will create millions of jobs and make critical investments in our roads, bridges and highways, in renewable, homegrown sources of energy and in our high-speed Internet infrastructure.”

Delayed DTV impact on White Spaces

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Today was the day that we were suppose to transition to DTV – but that transition has been delayed until June. I hope that gives people time to prepare. I know there are some good people on that mission.

I have been wondering how the delay will impact the use of White Spaces. To refresh your memory, the FCC decided last fall to open up the unlicensed use of the “white spaces” between digital television signals. One possible use is broadband, especially broadband in rural areas.

Well, the delay doesn’t seem to be slowing down the folks who hope to use those spaces. In fairness, I hadn’t heard many big plans for rapid use of the space and I haven’t heard any big complaints since the postponement.

I have heard that some of the bigwigs are collaborating on a tool to move the whole process forward – a database to oversee the use of white space spectrum per the FCC requirements. Specifically, the FCC requires white space devices to have sensing technology linked to a geolocation database, allowing the device to detect and avoid broadcast signals. (remember that’s what all of the testing was about last summer.)

The founding members of the White Spaces Database Group include Comsearch, Dell, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, Motorola and NeuStar.

So it looks as if the windfall of time for White Spaces will be well used. Hopefully come June 12 – people will be ready to watch DTV and companies will be ready to broadband via White Spaces.

Update on Broadband & Stimulus Packages

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So I think the final word on the Stimulus package is $7 billion to broadband to un-served and under-served areas. It looks as if providing access is broadly defined as providing infrastructure, access to computers or education.

Most of that money will be managed by the NTIA and some by RUS, however, word on the street is that NTIA will seek guidance from the States – especially when it comes to determining which areas are un- or underserved. (I suspect the Connect Minnesota maps will come into play!) The goal is to award funding before the end of 2010. Federal funding for the project should not exceed 80 percent (although it looked like there may have been a loophole there.) There seems to be some skepticism about the likeliness of spending all of that money by 2010.

Tax credits, it seems, are not part of the plan. So that seems to advantage the smaller providers. I think it also indicates more accountability for funds.

A provision I especially like, the FCC is set to the task of developing a national broadband strategy. (Are they the right folks? I don’t know but the need is there!)

So what does that mean for Minnesota? I think it’s tough to say. The NTIA is required to fund at least one project in each state. So that’s good. I read on the MPR web site that the estimate of $4 billion for Minnesota from the Stimulus package does not include any broadband grants.

Emerging Opportunities for Healthcare Services Over Fiber

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healthcare_ftthThanks to Rob Scheschareg from the MedConcierege for sharing his recent presentation he gave to the FTTH Council on FTTH and healthcare services – and actually a double thanks to Rob for modifying his original presentation to speak to our municipal readers.

MedConcierge helps community developers (property manager and folks like that) to provide their customers with real-time, live videoconference consultations, on demand, 24/7/365, with healthcare professionals. You can check out the presentation to learn more – but they provide a wide range of service and it’s not all that expensive.

Broadband on farms

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I’m starting to see maps in my dreams! First the Connect Minnesota maps – now the Daily Yonder has done a nice article on maps from the federal Census of Agriculture on broadband on farms.

The Ag Census is done every 5 years. In 2002, it indicated that half of the 2.2 million farms surveyed had some sort of Internet access. In 2007 that number has increased to a whopping 56.5 percent; 33 percent had broadband.
That surprises me – a lot. I would have thought that number would have been so much higher. I can’t imagine running a business without broadband, never mind Internet access.

The Midwest fares a little better than the average with 33.4 percent of farms with “fast Internet access”.

Here are the stats from Minnesota:

  • Number of farms: 80,915
  • Percent with “fast internet”: 37.1 percent

The Census also shows that farms in urban counties were more likely to have broadband access than rural and exurban counties – so I’m sure that the Twin Cities are skewing the statewide results. In fact the county with the best percentage has 81.1 percent broadband; while the lowest percent in a county has 31.8 percent. (The surveys asked: Did the farm operator at any time in 2007 have internet access? And, did the farm operator have a high speed Internet connection? The Census did not ask about price or the kind of connection the operator purchased — DSL, cable, satellite.)

Upcoming Task Force Meeting – February 20, 2009

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The agenda and other details are now available for the Ultra High-Speed Task Force meeting next Friday. Please note a change in the Twin Cities location to Inver Hills Community College. Remote sites are set up in Duluth, Crookston and St Cloud.

These are open meetings. The public are welcome to join and in the past have had an opportunity to offer comments (usually at the opening of the meeting).

There’s a good line up of speakers in the public sector. In the afternoon we’ll hear from Geoff Daily and Andrew Cohill. Both have been speakers at previous Blandin Broadband conferences. (Sorry I just had to fit that in.)

I will be there and taking notes, which I’ll post as soon as I can.

House & Senate Questions on Minnesota Mapping

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Last week Connected Nation gave presentations on the broadband mapping I saw 2 of the 5 presentations. I’m trying to catch up on the others – mostly for the questions.

Today I listened to the presentation in the House Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division Meeting led by Representative Sheldon Johnson and the Senate Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Meeting led by Senator Yvonne Prettner Solon.

Here are my notes:

From the House Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division Meeting.

Connected National Gave their presentation (similar to this presentation) and these questions followed: Continue reading →

Blandin Broadband Strategy Board Joins the US Broadband Coalition

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My fun news of the day – the Blandin Broadband Strategy Board has joined the US Broadband Coalition.

The Coalition includes a wide range of stakeholders – from think tanks to broadband providers – that have united to provide a united front for broadband. They began with Call to Action in December 2008 when they unveiled a Framework for a Comprehensive National Broadband Strategy. To further flesh out that Strategy, the Coalition has formed six working groups that will report on their progress at an event in Washington, DC, in late Spring or early Summer of 2009.

Bernadine Joselyn from the Blandin Foundation told me the good news and added her perspective, “The Blandin Foundation is committed to ensuring that rural perspectives are well represented in policy deliberations that impact the vitality of rural people and places. We welcome the participation of Blandin Broadband Strategy Board members in the work of this National Coalition because we think rural Minnesota communities will benefit from representation of their rural Minnesota experiences and aspirations for robust connectivity with our global economy.”

I’m hoping that the Coalition will be able to underpin their strategy with tactics soon – I think we could definitely use a national broadband strategy to help lead policy and hopefully make wise decisions with the economic stimulus proposals. The timing may be off for the first round but it could work out well for the second.

Mapping Presentation from Connected Nation

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Brent Legg from Connected Nation was good enough to send me the presentation he gave on the Minnesota broadband mapping last week. I wanted to make sure to share it here.cn-map-presentation

On a slightly related note, The NY Times recently ran an article (Why Spend $350 Million to Map Broadband?) addressing concerns about the proposed $350 million pegged in the economic stimulus proposals. As the article says, “Deep inside the stimulus bill that passed the Senate Tuesday is an allocation of up to $350 million for making a “nationwide inventory map of existing broadband service capability and availability in the United States.”

I think the author makes some good points. First, if they’re going to spend money on such a map, they should also create a provision that requires providers to participate in any surveys. Second, that info provided by providers should be made public – not just in the aggregate. (Geoff Daily just wrote a good piece on this too.)

If the government is willing to put money into broadband, it makes sense to create policies that reflect that public investment.

Upcoming TISP Forum: Minnesota Telephone Referendum Provision

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The TISP forums are always good. This should be no exception.

Telecommunications and Information Society Policy Forum presents
Minnesota Telephone Referendum Provision: Change It? Abolish It? Retain It?

Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
Roy Wilkins Room (215)
310 19th Avenue South * Minneapolis, MN 55455

February 25, 2009 * 4:00 to 5:30 PM

A statutory provision (237.19) in Minnesota requires a municipality to hold a public referendum which passes by 65% if it wants to construct a new telephone exchange to offer telephone service and a local exchange already exists. That provision has a checkered history in Minnesota where some referenda have failed, some have first failed and then succeeded while others have succeeded at first attempt. Critics argue a referendum requirement and especially the 65% approval level creates an unjustifiable barrier to entry and has a chilling effect on the emergence of competitive new broadband services, especially since telephone service has become part of a larger package of broadband services from most providers. Supporters argue it is useful to require specific community approval.

Panelists (to be announced) will present their views followed by an open discussion. Please join us for what promises to be a lively discussion.

Please RSVP to tisp@umn.edu

The idea behind this Forum is simple and essential: purposeful exchange on key issues with engaged stakeholders to create a better information future.

Taking in the Exaflood

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Thanks to Mary Treacy for passing this video on to me. I don’t always make time for video but like Mary, I thought this one was worth sharing. It tracks the progression of information technology. The factoids that caught my attention:

  1. The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.
  2. It took Facebook 2 years to reach a market audience of 50 million.
  3. A week’s worth of NY Times is more than a lifetime of info someone would find in a lifetime in the 18th century.

I hope the schools are preparing my kids for this!

What about Rural?

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I’ve been busy looking at the local broadband scene in Minnesota. I finally got a little time to catch up on the national broadband situation. It’s not looking so good for rural areas.

According to BroadbandCensus, the Senate compromise has cut the broadband portion of the stimulus from $9 billion to $7.1 billion and most of it will be distributed through the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration – which means a focus on “advanced services” over a focus on rural areas. (The other organization on the short list to control the money was/is Department of Agriculture.)

I’m getting frustrated with the stimulus package. First – I think everyone has put the brakes on any ongoing projects in hopes of getting a piece of the package. Second – I know Senator Klobuchar said that the bulk of broadband support will come in the second wave of the stimulus plan. But I think a lack of patience is getting the better of us. People are making policy in haste and not for a lot of money. (OK I clearly wouldn’t say no to $7.1 billion, but when you slice it up, it’s not going to be a cure-all. I just hope that hasty policy won’t be the price we pay for quick cash.)

I’ve said before, I think we need a national broadband strategy. I won’t belabor the point – but I felt like we had a direction for the stimulus broadband funds because when President Obama talked about broadband in the economic stimulus bill, I’m pretty sure he said rural. So I thought that the goal was rural areas – but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Two colleagues with Minnesota connections have eloquently made the point that rural is getting lost this time around. (Amalia Deloney in Rural Broadband and the Stimulus Package: Digital Inclusion is Hardly a ‘Cyberbridge to Nowhere’ and Geoff Daily in We Can’t Afford To Short Change Rural America.)

I used to write grants. I found the smartest thing you could do was find the right funder to suit your program. I worked with too many people who tried to go after the wrong money. They changed goals and even missions to suit a funder. We occasionally got the money but it never really worked out in the end. I feel like that’s what’s happening here. People see the opportunity for free money and they’re trying to twist the rules and themselves to make a fit.

Maybe it’s time to step back and consider why Obama mentioned rural by name and how we can best serve rural needs with this opportunity and open doors to policies that will support ongoing improvements in the future.

Minnesota Broadband Task Force Special Meeting

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It was tougher to take notes at today’s meeting than it has been at previous Task Force meetings – especially when they discussed the shovel-ready projects because there was a lot of back and forth dialog and I’m a blogger not a stenographer. I’m going to include all of my notes – but I wanted to add a couple of notes.

First – I didn’t take great notes on the Broadband Mapping presentation because it was remarkably similar to the sneak preview I wrote about on Thursday. I just added notes and questions that were new.

Second – I just read an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Broadband task force drops plan to get stimulus funds). I think the tone of the article is misleading. I don’t think the Task Force dropped the list of projects so much as they decided that realistically they couldn’t be the ones to decide which projects should be funded – and if they handed over a list of projects that the powers that be would assume that the Task Force had made some qualitative decisions to create the list.

They couldn’t decide which projects should be funded because (1) they don’t know the rules for funding yet because Congress is still creating rules and (2) they don’t have the time to delve into these projects and create a recommendation for the future of broadband in Minnesota, which is their primary goal. So instead of providing a list, it sounded to me at if the Task Force decided to provide benchmarks or guidelines for Legislators to decide which projects to fund after they gather their own list of potential projects.

Third, the Star Tribune article did pick up on the tension in the room between potentially opposing views on how and where to increase broadband in Minnesota. I think we saw a touch of this last month – I think we’re going to see a lot more as the group moves forward to make recommendations on how and where to increase broadband in Minnesota.

On with the meeting notes… Continue reading →

Connect Minnesota – the Broadband Maps are Here

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The broadband maps of Minnesota have been unveiled! This afternoon I got a sneak preview of the maps from the folks at Connection Nation (CN) – specifically from Brent Legg, Wes Kerr and Chip Spann. Connected Nation has been hired by the State to map access to broadband across Minnesota. The maps are being created to help the Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force make recommendations to the Legislature regarding a vision for broadband access in Minnesota.

I have a brief video clip from our meeting; I tried to catch the introductory key points. (I’m hoping to get the presentation they gave too and will post it when I can.)

According to the data collected (mostly from providers) 92 percent of the state is covered with broadband – as defined by greater than 768 Kbps download speeds. The 8 percent that is not covered comes to about 150,000 households or 418,000 people. Although participation by providers was not mandated by the State, CN heard from 98 providers of the estimated 225 providers in Minnesota, however it sounds as if they had heard from the largest providers. That being said they are working to get more data. Continue reading →