Broadband Access  Gap is Shrinking
New research unveiled last month by Connect Minnesota shows that   the broadband availability gap in Minnesota is shrinking, with 85.09% of  Minnesota residents now having access to broadband speeds of 6 Mbps download/1.5 Mbps upload, compared to 81.20% last October. http://wp.me/p3if7-1J7

Schools  Need 100 Mbps per 1000 Students
The State Educational Technology Directors Association recently released a report that set a target for broadband speeds of at least 100 Mbps  per 1,000 students/staff for 2014-2015. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IL The FCC has long had a program that helps school afford broadband. In fact, the  FCC’s E-Rate program subsidies offset more than$20 million in Minnesota every  year, historically about half of the cost. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ip Unfortunately, total demand  for 2012 is $5.237 billion. For the first time in the program, demand exceeds  the $2.3 billion in funding available, without rollover funds, which indicates  that some applications may not get funding. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IL

Minnesota  Businesses Using Web for Marketing?
University of Minnesota Extension released a report that  indicates that 42.6 percent of businesses from 23 rural communities  investigated have a website. On average, 9.9 percent of businesses in each  community used social media. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IG That number rings true with a national statistic used by Google last fall when  they announced that 60 percent of businesses don’t have a website. http://wp.me/p3if7-1qf A recent report from Connect Minnesota  indicates that Minnesota businesses that use broadband are benefitting, to the  tune of approximately $200,000 more in annual median revenues than  non-broadband adopting businesses. http://wp.me/p3if7-1H3

Minnesota  Public Safety Broadband Requirements
A Minnesota Public Safety Broadband Wireless Data Network  Requirements Study assesses the needs of public safety wireless broadband in  Minnesota. Specific recommendations are made, such as create a Minnesota Public  Safety Wireless Broadband Plan and establish a body under the Statewide Radio  Board to oversee plan. http://wp.me/p3if7-1I6

Conferences  Notes

Minnesota  Broadband Task Force – In May, the Task Force met in Winona, where  they had an opportunity to learn more about telehealth from the folks at Winona  Health. The effort started 10 years ago with digitizing health records (EHR),  centralizing them and allowing different facilities to share records. That was  the building block making it possible to now deploy remote consults.

Also two of the Task Force small groups met during the session:  Broadband Adoption and Monitor/Understand Impact of FCC/PUC Decisions. Both  seem to be moving forward with action items to help the state get closer to the  broadband goals. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Hq

Minnesota  Intelligent Rural Communities Conference –  MIRC partners met to discuss  broadband expansion in rural Minnesota. Practice met policy during the  conference with an impromptu and very accessible lesson on the changes to  federal funding of broadband infrastructure (USF, Intercarrier Compensation and  Connect American Fund) by Kevin Beyer from Federated/Farmers Telephone. http://wp.me/p3if7-1JC See more from the conference http://mirc-may-2012.posterous.com

Continuing  Legal Education – CLE hosted a full day workshop on broadband policy and  regulations. Workshop highlights include firsthand perspective from lawyers in  the trenches and an insider perspective from the FCC. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ic

Local Broadband News

Anoka  County
Anoka  County’s ARRA-funded project is selected as part of a national study. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Hc

Austin
Austin  community works with PCs for People to get refurbished computers in the hands  of those in need. http://wp.me/p3if7-1HG

Benton  County
St  Cloud Times highlights broadband adoption efforts (and need) in Benton County,  including a look at use at the schools, home computer use and area digital  inclusion opportunities, many sponsored by MIRC. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Jb

Also,  Sauk  Rapids-Rice Community Education and Foley Community Education have increased  open computer lab times for their communities and students and are providing  basic computer skills classes and broadband classes through the U of M  Extension. http://wp.me/p3if7-1GX

Bemidji
United Way of Bemidji Area partnered with PCs for People to locally  find, refurbish and donate 88 computers to new computers users. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Iv

Carver  County
The  ARRA-funded fiber project in Carver County continues to make ground despite  setbacks, such as fiber scarcity. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Jm

Cook  County
Arrowhead  Electric Coop gets a nice nod in report on innovative broadband funding for  communities. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Jp

Dakota  County
In  April, Dakota County had an opportunity to show off the results of their  broadband policy and planning. In May, they share templates with other  communities looking to expand broadband in the community. http://wp.me/p3if7-1HP

Duluth
Duluth  makes concerted effort to attract datacenters; Involta will open new datacenter  in Duluth this fall. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IY

Granite  Falls
MVTV  Wireless reports that their ARRA-funded projects is well ahead of schedule and  has create 16 full time jobs. http://wp.me/p3if7-1JI

Halstad  and Spring Grove
NTCA (National Telecommunications Cooperative Association)  published a collection of case studies highlighting some best-of class stories  for use of broadband technology in rural communities, including stories from Halstad and Spring  Grove, Minnesota. http://wp.me/p3if7-1I2

Hubbard  County
Local  provider Paul Bunyan Communications reports the need to slow down projects due  to uncertainty and changes in federal policies (Universal Services Funds and  Intercarrier Compensation USF/ICC). http://wp.me/p3if7-1IP

Itasca  County
Itasca Area Schools Collaborative (IASC) received local and national  attention for successful deployment of telepresence in the classrooms. http://wp.me/p3if7-1HK

Lac qui Parle County
A workshop attendee and local business owner talks about the  value of learning how to better use technology in her business through  MIRC-sponsored training. http://wp.me/p3if7-1GC

Lake  County
The  ARRA-funded project moves forward despite opposition from incumbent provider. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IT

Leech  Lake
Leech Lake Temporary Employment Program, a MIRC-supported  project, is featured on Lakeland Public TV, talking about how their program  boosts digital literacy skills and increases access to computers for the whole  community. http://wp.me/p3if7-1H0

Minneapolis
City of Minneapolis recently released the results of their Digital  Community Survey, showing demographic and technology adoption differences by  neighborhood. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ik

Monticello
Hiawatha  Broadband steps down from project management position in Monticello http://wp.me/p3if7-1Je, as City of Monticello  makes contingency plans to move forward. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Jh Success of the project is still up for interpretation, based on criteria for  success. http://wp.me/p3if7-1ID

New  York Mills and Akeley
University  of Minnesota Extension highlights MIRC broadband business training in latest  semiannual publication. http://wp.me/p3if7-1IV

Todd  County
Todd  County decides to move forward with community broadband plans. http://wp.me/s3if7-6549

Winona
Winona is looking for workers – and the MIRC broadband project   is helping them to attract new residents with a new website and wi-fi hotspots to  attract folks interested in relocating. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ix

Events

June  12 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force meeting – (TBD)

June  20 – Technology and the Design of Personalized Learning (Minneapolis) http://wp.me/p3if7-1J4

July 15-18 – OPASTCO Summer Convention – (Minneapolis ) Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of  Small Telecommunications Companies  http://tinyurl.com/7wn7yy7

Looking  for more events? Check out Tech.MN’s calendar http://tech.mn/events/.   Many events are based in the Twin Cities but it is a comprehensive list. (If  you have an upcoming event, consider submitting it.)

Stirring the Pot

It is June and  that means graduation season!  I am happy to report that I just returned  home from my son’s college graduation from Westminster College in Salt Lake  City.  It was a fun and gratifying weekend of events that brought back  many memories of dropping him off at college, seemingly just a moment ago.   Just as four years ago, the new graduates have been receiving plenty of  advice on this new phase of their lives – from parents, professors, career  counselors, friends and now, commencement speakers.  I know that I have given  my son more than my fair share of advice as most conversations seem to come  back to “what’s next?”

I also advise  rural communities as they work to increase the economic vitality of their  communities, using broadband and Internet technologies as primary tools.   Luckily for my consulting business, rural leaders seem to listen more  intently than it appears my son does  😉 .  In fact, it can be a bit  scary when you see either progeny or community leaders following through on the  advice I give them!

Bruce Bastian,  co-founder of Word Perfect, gave the commencement address to my son’s class.   I agree with his words on taking advice – to listen and consider, but to  make your own decisions, to follow your own passions.  As each new  graduate is unique, so is each community.  As there is no single path for  individuals, the same is true for communities.  Each community needs to  assess its own situation, then determine which community strategies will move  it forward into a more positive future.  Some will focus on  infrastructure, some on digital inclusion, others on economic development.   All are valid; all can be very productive for a community.

I saw this  clearly last week in Alexandria at a joint Blandin Foundation – University of Minnesota  Extension event with our MIRC communities.  All communities started with a  similar assessment and planning process, but each has followed their own path  with their own unique set of activities and partnerships.  It was fun to  hear of the success and the plans for continued action around broadband,  e-commerce enhancements, digital inclusion and online community.  It is  also very exciting to hear Blandin Foundation’s announcement of a new two-year  commitment to ongoing support of rural Minnesota broadband.

Just as the past  years have been fun, interesting and productive for our MIRC communities and my  son, I look forward to the future and the paths that are created and followed.