Below is a recap of blog articles for October 2012…

Blandin Foundation Receives Tekne
The Blandin Foundation is pleased to have been selected as recipient of the Tekne Award for Innovative Collaboration of the Year. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Xf The award was accepted on behalf of all of the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) partners.

2012 Broadband Conference: Duluth Nov 13-14
Register now for Building Our Connected Future: Minnesota’s Better with Broadband in Duluth on November 13-14. http://tinyurl.com/cgr9hau The conference will immediately follow the Minnesota Broadband Task Force meeting, also held in Duluth. It will feature Minnesota-grown best practices for broadband adoption, a national perspective on broadband expansion in rural areas from Craig Settles and Connected Nation’s Tom Koutsky. A preliminary agenda is available http://tinyurl.com/ckwtrhg

The final free webinars leading up to the conference is scheduled for Thursday (Nov 8). http://wp.me/p3if7-1Xc Get a preview of the conference by visiting conference exhibitors at their virtual location. (Project FINE http://wp.me/p3if7-1WV, Cybermation http://wp.me/p3if7-1WC PCs for People http://wp.me/p3if7-1VG and U-reka Broadband http://wp.me/p3if7-1XM.) More exhibitor introductions coming, this week on the Blandin on Broadband blog. http://blandinonbroadband.org

Broadband Task Force Planning Next Report in December
The Minnesota Broadband Task Force met at the MacPhail Center, which facilitated a demonstration of a remote music class. (Video online: http://wp.me/p3if7-1U9.) They also learned about FirstNet from Brandon Abley at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The Task Force plans to release their next report to coincide with legislative budget decisions. The Task Force got feedback on their earlier report from the League of Minnesota Cities. http://wp.me/p3if7-1U9

A Tool to Help You Vote
MyBallot is a user-friendly website, developed in Minnesota that shows what will be on your ballot, provides links to more info and tells you where to go to vote based on your address. http://wp.me/p3if7-1X7

A Realistic Look at Broadband Benefits
Craig Settles recently released a report that compares what politicians seem to be touting as economic development outcomes of better broadband and the actual reasonably expected benefits of broadband. It includes a chart that would be beneficial to economic developers working in communities to improve broadband access. http://wp.me/p3if7-1WQ (Settles will be speaking at the broadband conference in November. http://tinyurl.com/cgr9hau)

Cyber Security, Privacy and Copyright
Government and private sector IT professionals met in Minneapolis last month to discuss cyber security. They talked about different types of hackers, the anatomy of an attack and even spoke about government resources created to protect public and private entities. http://wp.me/p3if7-1U4 Senator Al Franken announced the release of a new report he requested from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that shows wireless companies are not providing consumers enough information about how they use and share their private location data, and says that federal action would likely help address this problem. http://wp.me/s3if7-7302 Understanding copyright is complicated when more people are both consumers and creators of content. Knowing the rules helps. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ur

Local Broadband News

Benton County
Benton County police celebrate getting iPads in the squad cars, which make it easier to get and transmit information. Yet, they express concern because the tools are only useful where wireless broadband is available. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Tr

Brainerd
Local news sources post diverging editorials of broadband deployment in Brainerd. Northland’s NewsCenter mentions excitement building for nearly 430 miles of fiber optic network cable is underway in Brainerd. While Brainerd Dispatch is surprised that public money is going to build redundant networks. http://wp.me/p3if7-1U1

Cloquet Valley
Cloquet Valley provides on update of how they have implemented recommendations based on a feasibility study from U-reka Broadband. They are testing new satellite improvements and making plans for other options. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Vd

Dakota County
Dakota County is detailing long term government plans for infrastructure construction, which they will share in March with utilities. It is an opportunity for interested utilities to talk to local governments about piggybacking on their plans for construction. The goal is to dig once and make room for plenty of conduit. http://wp.me/p3if7-1T8

Fergus Falls
Dave Bickett, from Park Region/Otter Tail Telecom speaks at the Minnesota Telecom Alliance conference about Fergus Falls and the success they have had promoting telework as an economic development strategy. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Td

Goodhue & Dakota Counties
Goodhue and Dakota County officials are talking about joining together to purchase 44 strands of optical fiber that are being installed between Red Wing and Hastings. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ui

Kanabec County
Kanabec County presents their broadband feasibility study, which offers two options: one focused on a FTTP deployment and one focused on a fiber-wireless hybrid. http://wp.me/p3if7-1VC

Lake County
Lake Communications, Two Harbors and Frontier Communications are discussing ownership of poles and the issue of pole attachments as Lake Communication tries to use the poles to deploy fiber in the area. http://wp.me/p3if7-1X2

Minneapolis
Patrons of the Broadband Access Project public computer centers in Minneapolis and St Paul talk about how access to computers and broadband has helped them. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Ta

Ramsey County
Ramsey County plans to reopen their RFP to deploy fiber to anchor institutions. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Xz

Sibley County
Sibley County Commissions vote to drop out of the Renville-Sibley County partnership, leaving area towns and Renville County to move ahead without them. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Va After the vote, Sibley County farmers consider options for a cooperative to more forward with a fiber to the farm plan. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Vt

Thief River Falls
Dick Sjoberg of Sjoberg Cable talks about how they partnered with local MIRC efforts to offer reduced rate broadband connections to low income households in the area. http://wp.me/p3if7-1TR

Various MN Locations
Public Utilities Commission filed a list of the schools that will receive of CenturyLink Tier 2 funds. http://wp.me/p3if7-1Vp

Events

• November 8: Webinar: Broadband ROI: No Field of Dreams (9-10:00) http://wp.me/p3if7-1SQ
• November 13: Minnesota Broadband Task Force Meeting (Duluth) http://tinyurl.com/7n2syt8
• November 13-14: Fall Broadband Conference – Building Our Connected Future: Minnesota’s Better with Broadband! (Duluth) http://tinyurl.com/8q8hakw

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

Feeling the need to start or rejuvenate a community broadband initiative?  If so, you are facing numerous questions before you even pick up the telephone or send an email.  Questions like: What is the right geography for the effort – your city, city and area townships, the county, multiple counties? Or technology choices – Is it fiber or bust for your effort or is the 700 MHz wireless spectrum with its potential 10 Mb bandwidth or even 3G cellular wireless a “much better than nothing” alternative? What about provider partners- Is there anyone out there with the skills, money and interest?

Blandin Foundation is convening a meeting this week with people from five counties in east central Minnesota to begin a discussion.  This area – Mille Lacs, Kanabec, Pine, Aitkin and Carlton have lots of geography with relatively poor service.  There has been great interest in broadband in these counties over the years, but the barriers to deployment are significant.  It will be interesting to hear what the area broadband leaders have to say.  Stay tuned!