Mike O’Connor is a good friend. We’ve been friends for years – but I don’t just mean that. I mean if he’s your friend he will go to bat for you time and time again. Mike’s a good friend to broadband in Minnesota. (And in fairness, broadband and the Internet have been good to Mike too.)

Many years ago, Mike was the champion for ISDN, bringing it to residents in all neighborhoods of Minnesota. He owned an ISP. He’s been on plenty of technology, internet and broadband committees, including the Blandin Broadband Strategy Board. Most recently he was on Minnesota’s Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force. On the committee he was a solid voice for more, better broadband but he also took quickly to the consensus approach.

You can find an article about him in the Finance & Commerce this week. Especially for those of us who know Mike, it’s a fun article – but more importantly it serves to remind legislators of the Minnesota’s Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force Recommendations just as they are preparing to reconvene February 4, 2010. I think Mike has high hopes for a homerun this time up to bat. To me that would mean getting the legislators to read and discuss the report and agree to the creation of a follow up entities to track and support broadband progress in the State.