The Institute for Local Self Reliance is gathering videos on broadband in rural Minnesota. They recently posted a video from Annandale on the Twin Cities Daily Planet.

In the video, City Administrator Cindy Hinnenkamp talks about like without better broadband…

Hinnenkamp describes broadband in the areas outside of Annadale as “horrific.” She goes on to discuss how the community’s poor connectivity negatively impacts its economic health. She shares a story about entrepreneurs from an artisan spice business once located in Annandale. The company started with online sales but the owners anticipated opening a storefront in the downtown area of the lake community. After contending with eight outages in three weeks, the new business pulled up stakes and moved to Buffalo.

It’s a story I heard repeated this week at the East Central Broadband Conference. Businesses are moving because of broadband. They are relocating from areas without adequate broadband. They are choosing areas with better broadband. People want lakes, woods, arts, cross country skiing (well maybe not in mid April!) but people need broadband if they are going to work, study and live a convenient life to which they have become accustomed.