Enquiring minds want to know what’s happening with the Minnesota Broadband Development Fund. And enquiring minds can find out with the Blanidn webinar coming up on Thursday or during the Office of Broadband Development tour coming up in the next few weeks. I will plan to attend all of the sessions I can and will take notes when I can. But if you’re in the area, I think it would be beneficial to listen first hand and be counted!
Borrowing from a recent email I received from DEED, here are the details…
Border to Border Infrastructure Grant Program
Join us for a webinar on the program! July 10 at 9:00 a.m. Blandin will be hosting a webinar with Danna MacKenzie, Executive Director of the Office of Broadband Development, who will provide an overview on the status of the grant program and application process. You can register at: http://tinyurl.com/q4eow68
In addition, regional information meetings around the state are being scheduled. Currently, we plan to hold meetings at the following locations to discuss the proposed application process and obtain feedback:
Friday, July 18 from 1:30 to 3:00Montevideo Chippewa County Courthouse Assembly Room (basement level) 629 North 11th Street (corner of state hwy 7 and 11th Street)
Monday, July 28 from 1:30 to 3:00Brainerd/Baxter The Lodge at Brainerd Lakes 6967 Lake Forest Road Baxter, MN 56425
Wednesday, July 30 from 1:30 to 3:00Eveleth IRRRB Offices 4261 Highway 53
Tuesday, August 19Crookston Time and location TBD
Friday, August 22 from 1:30 to 3:00Owatonna Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation 525 Florence Avenue
Wednesday, August 26West Central Region—TBD
These meetings are open to anyone. Thank you to our meeting site hosts for providing the meeting space!
Potential applicants are also reminded of some available resources. First, if you are working to identify broadband availability for your project, any inquiries you have regarding the data shown on the broadband map can be submitted to Connect Minnesota for clarification—just go to the website http://www.connectmn.org/ and fill out the form. County maps will also be posted shortly showing unserved and underserved areas as reflected by the current data.
Finally, we encourage all potential applicants to subscribe to the OBD email list which will be used to distribute information on the grant process as it develops.