Blandin on Broadband

You have to give it to Duluth – they are focused. They just posted Seven Reasons The Chances of Google Coming To The Twin Ports Just Shot Up. Two biggies are the recent ARRA broadband announcements in the area – and you know – I think it’s a great idea.

Google wants to back a winner. Federal investment makes NE Minnesota a winner, partially because of the influx of money but also because the people in the area had the vision and determination to get the attention of the feds. It’s a sign of how the ARRA funding has become a game changer – and an example of how one community (who didn’t get direct funding) is capitalizing on momentum of the stimulus. An example that other communities should be following.

Aaron Brown picked up on the story and the power of getting out there ahead of the game in his usual on-the-front-lines, practical and astute way…

One of the interesting thing about the post is how it’s starting to look like high speed internet is really going to reach the remote corners of northern Minnesota one way or the other. The issue I keep stressing, though, is that getting high speed internet last doesn’t help us nearly as much as getting out ahead of the trend. We’re starting out in this whole thing in last place, with broadband penetration far lower and underused than it should be for an area like ours. If developing businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs and independents see this region setting the pace, we could change our fortunes.