House CTO to Headline Upcoming Summit in Minneapolis

July 11, 2009

OK the good things seem to happen back home when I’m gone…

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER TO HEADLINE UPCOMING NATIONAL CIVIC SUMMIT
WHAT: Newly appointed Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra will be one of the 70 featured speakers at the National Civic Summit on July 16-17.
The summit opens at 9:00 a.m. on July 16 with a presentation by Target Corporation’s Vice President of Government Affairs and Sr. Public Affairs Officer Nate Garvis. The closing keynote entitled “Passionate Citizens: The Key to Minnesota’s Successful Recount,” will be delivered at 4:00 p.m. on July 17 by summit host, Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie. This will be the first public presentation by Ritchie since the conclusion of Minnesota’s U.S. Senate election.

A complete listing of presentations is available online at www.nationalcivicsummit.com.

WHEN: National Civic Summit
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily
Event is free and open to the public
WHERE: Minneapolis Hilton
Minneapolis, Minn.

BACKGROUND: Active citizenship is the bedrock of our democracy. The National Civic Summit is a venue for hundreds of civic organizations from across the country to engage each other in conversations through presentations and workshops in an effort to best serve the public interest by addressing the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Ritchie teamed up with the Citizens League to host the National Civic Summit with major support provided by Target Corporation.

The summit immediately precedes the summer meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State hosted by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie in Minneapolis.

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Lake County folks excited about broadband

July 10, 2009

Folks in Lake County are pretty excited with the prospect of broadband in their area. According to the Lake County News Chronicle, “The overall response was excellent,” said Chris Swanson, at a Lake County Board meeting this week. “They (Lake County residents) are very supportive of the project.”

It sounds as if the average Lake County resident pays $122 per month for Internet, TV and phone services. National Public Broadband, the folks who are implementing the broadband plan, feel they can beat that price.

3 Comments | Community Networks, FTTH, MN, Rural | Permalink
Posted by Ann Treacy

Broadband Task Force Meeting July 17

July 10, 2009

blog_taskforceJust wanted to send a reminder to folks about the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Task Force meeting this month. (See the Agenda below.) It’s on July 17 in Mankato. I’ll still be in Ireland, so I won’t be there – but a kind friend has offered to record it for me so I’m hoping to get the notes regardless.

Also I wanted to remind folks that Blandin Foundation will be presenting a Broadband Policy Seminar on July 16 in Mankato. Last month’s session in Grand Rapids went very well. If you’re near Mankato and can make it to either meeting, I’d encourage you to go.

Task Force Meeting Agenda
Date Friday, July 17, 2009
Time 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Location Loose Moose Saloon and Conference Center
119 S. Front Street
Mankato, MN

8:00 – 9:00 Continental breakfast – meet and greet the Task Force – open to all

9:00 – 9:15 Opening comments; review meeting agenda
Approve meeting minutes from June 19th meeting

9:15 – 10:15 Public comment

10:15 – 11:00 How to approach aspirational speed goal
• A number stated as ”the equivalent in 2015 of XX in 2010”
• A statement about where we want to be on the rankings in the US and Globally
[Craig Taylor, Brent Christenson, Dan McElroy, Peg Werner, Shirley Walz]

11:00 – 11:15 Break

11:15 – 11:30 Symmetrical sub-group report
• Review language to cover the notion of symmetrical vs. asymmetrical speeds
[Shirley Walz, JoAnne Johnson, Mike O’Connor]

11:30 – 12:15 Role of Government – sub-group report
• Discuss and decide on language for the report
[Tom Garrison, Mike O’Connor, Vijay Sethi, Karen Smith, John Stanoch, Robyn West]

12:15 – 12:45 Break for Lunch

12:45 – 1:30 Recommendation #2 – Policies and actions necessary to achieve ubiquitous broadband – sub-group report
• Review sub-group recommendations
[Mike O’Connor, Brent Christensen, JoAnne Johnson, Diane Wells, Peg Werner, Mary Ellen Wells/Joe Schindler, Carlos Seone]

1:30 – 2:15 Recommendation #3 – Opportunities for public and private sectors to cooperate to achieve goal – sub-group report
• Review sub-group recommendations
[Brent Christensen, Steve Cawley, Tom Garrison, Tim Lovaasen, Vijay Sethi, Robyn West, Mary Ellen Wells/Joe Schindler, Diane Wells]

2:15 – 3:00 Recommendation #4 – Evaluation of strategies, financing, financial incentives used in other states/countries to support broadband development & Recommendation #6 – Cost estimate – sub-group report
• Review sub-group recommendations
[John Gibbs, Dan McElroy, John Stanoch, Dick Sjoberg, Diane Wells]

3:00 – 3:30 Recommendation #5 – Evaluation and recommendation of security, vulnerability, and redundancy actions necessary to ensure reliability – sub-group report
• Review sub-group recommendations
[Mike O’Connor, Steve Cawley, Craig Taylor, Jack Ries/Gopal Khanna, Shirley Walz]

3:30 – 3:45 Plans for Upcoming Meetings (reference Planning Calendar)
• August 21st Fergus Falls
• Expectations for reviewing updated draft of report
• September 18th Thomson Reuters
• October 2nd,16th, 30th Thomson Reuters

3:45 Closing comments, adjourn meeting

1 Comment | Blandin Foundation, Conferences, MN, Policy | Permalink
Posted by Ann Treacy

Sabin Minnesota gets DOCSIS 3.0

July 9, 2009

Thanks to Tim Finnerty for passing on the latest on DOCSIS 3.0 in Minnesota.

According to their press release, “Midcontinent Communications has launched wideband Internet to the West Fargo and Sioux Falls service regions. The deployment of DOCSIS 3.0 (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) or D3 technology represents a landmark shift in Internet speeds to both residential and business consumers.”

Midcontinent’s MidcoNet™ Ultimate speeds will allow up to 50 MB downloads and 5 MB uploads and customers at all service levels (residential and business) will see a speed increase. Apparently Sabin, Minnesota already received the new service. Moorhead should receive service over the summer.

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Luck favors the prepared

July 8, 2009

luckI’ve been thinking about my favorite line from The Incredibles lately – luck favors the prepared (originally from Louis Pastuer). I’ve been thinking about it in terms of the broadband stimulus funding and in terms of creating vital rural communities. I think most folks reading this will make the connection between broadband and vital – but for a quick tangible reminder, I think Steve Borsch has done a nice job talking about what you can do with broadband and why it’s important for everyone to have access.

Back to being prepared … The NTIA/RUS NOFA favors the prepared. I think most folks knew that it would. The turnaround is quick. The information they request is huge. I think the funding was/is intended to favor un- and underserved communities – but generally those people aren’t prepared. I know there’s a mandate in the NOFA to serve those populations – but in practice I think it’s set up just for that – so that outside entities can serve the community but not so much so that the community can serve itself. (Amalia Deloney sent me a critique on the NOFA that touches upon this while highlighting how the focus on rural areas may have unintended consequences.)

Now for some communities having outside service provider will work well. But for others, it doesn’t. Minnesota’s own Christopher Mitchell, just had a nice article in the Charleston Gazette that highlights the need of communities to be able to serve themselves. The stimulus funding is a perfect fit for those communities – except that I think the strenuous application process will have many selecting not to participate.

My hope is that they will pursue funding either on their own or with partners. Then my follow up hope is that even if they don’t get funding that communities (and other applicants) will use the proposal process to get prepared. It might bring some hard earned good luck!

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Blandin eNews July 2009

July 8, 2009

Blandin Get Broadband CommunitiesHere’s the news from our latest newsletter. It’s mostly a compilation of Minnesota-related stories from the blog in the last month – but sometimes it’s nice to have it compiled.

The NOFA is out!
The NTIA and RUS released the NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) for broadband stimulus funding on July 1 as promised. http://tinyurl.com/qgqt6n Applications are due August 14, 2009 and will be reviewed using a 2-stage process. Details are outlined in the NOFA. The NTIA and RUS are having workshops for applicants; a workshop has been scheduled in St Paul on July 21. http://tinyurl.com/o2jp6z  

Minnesota Broadband Maps are out!
Connect Minnesota released an updated version of the Minnesota broadband maps just in time to be useful in helping the state prepare applications to the NTIA and RUS. http://tinyurl.com/pu6ga7 Indication of serving un- and underserved areas is a factor for the applications the will be of interest to the federal funders.

Foundations and the ARRA
Bernadine Joselyn from the Blandin Foundation joined a group assembled by the National Council of Foundations for a meeting at the White House. They were asked to come prepared to respond to the question: “How can the administration best partner with rural leaders?” Learn more about what she learned and what she shared with the White House staff. http://tinyurl.com/qlycw2  

Blandin wins EDAM Award
In June, the Blandin Foundation won EDAM’s Economic Development Technology Initiative award for their work with the Blandin Broadband Initiative, which has stimulated broadband deployment and increased effective use of those networks in rural Minnesota. http://tinyurl.com/o5y3tx  

Broadband Task Force in Grand Rapids
The Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force met in Grand Rapids in June. http://tinyurl.com/n8joa6 It was a good opportunity for the local community to get involved. In fact several members of the public spoke at the meeting (videos available on the Blandin on Broadband blog http://tinyurl.com/n8joa6); most of those speakers had attended a workshop on broadband policy held by the Blandin Foundation the afternoon preceding the Task Force meeting. The Task Force also got a lot of work done as they continue to work on their recommendations for the Minnesota Legislature. Their next stops will be in Mankato on July 17, and August 20 in Fergus Falls. http://tinyurl.com/oqa75m  

Local Broadband News

Duluth
Verizon Wireless created a tracking system to help race fans receive periodic runner updates through a text message or an e-mail throughout Grandma’s Marathon. http://tinyurl.com/oogchy  

Lake County
Lake County has been moving forward with their plans for a countywide fiber network. In the latest step, they have submitted an RUS Loan application. http://tinyurl.com/o3brm7  

Minneapolis
The Institute for Local Self Reliance has unveiled a new web site that features news, reports and case studies that illustrate how communities can ensure that they get the broadband they want and need. http://tinyurl.com/qwh4js  

Monticello
The ongoing fiber saga in Monticello has been resolved. First the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the City and the Minnesota Supreme Court denied TDS’ petition for further review. The City will move forward with their fiber network plans. http://tinyurl.com/qyh2ks  

Red Wing
Red Wing promotes a policy of installing broadband conduits at the same time that roads are being torn up. http://tinyurl.com/qxdky2  

St. Cloud
A family saves $175 a month with online coupons. http://tinyurl.com/q6ngz5  

St. Paul (and State)
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is backing off their request that Minnesota Internet Service Providers block known gambling sites. http://tinyurl.com/odo7fb

Bill ColemanColeman’s Corner

The broadband world is hopping this summer and I am trying to keep up with all that is going on here in Minnesota and on the national and international scenes. Here is a bit from my world –

• The federal broadband NOFA is out and I am trying to figure out what it means for our Blandin application and other prospective MN projects.
• As we prepare our Blandin application for stimulus funds, we are beginning our search for a number of demonstration communities. If your community has your schools, businesses, health care providers and government on board with a push to use technology for problem solving, then we are interested in talking with you about becoming a demonstration community.
• Our broadband policy seminar, held in conjunction with the state broadband task force meeting in Grand Rapids, was a great success. An excellent audience, a sophisticated discussion on the range of broadband issues and great input to the state task force members in attendance combined together for regional consensus building. Our next seminars are July 16 in Mankato and August 21 in Fergus Falls. Make sure that your regional voice is developed and heard by the state task force. Their report to the legislature is due in November.
• Regional broadband discussions are breaking out all over the state – western, northwestern and northeastern Minnesota each have groups continuing or beginning their efforts to understand and impact broadband development and use.
• Broadband advocacy groups and federal policy makers are engaging in discussions that will have lasting impact on our broadband future and global competitiveness.
• I continue to research and to be impressed with the work being done around the world by communities recognized as Intelligent Communities (www.intelligentcommunity.org) The Eindhoven region of the Netherlands is especially impressive. Continuing their tradition as a port city (both water and air), they now market themselves as the “Brainport” and as a broadband laboratory for new technology applications. Fredericton, New Brunswick is another place to check out.

Enjoy the summer, but do not let it pass by without some efforts to improve your community’s broadband efforts!

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Posted by Ann Treacy

BIP & BTOP workshops

July 2, 2009

The NTIA & RUS are planning a series of workshops for folks who intend to submit applications for stimulus funding. A workshop will be held in St Paul on July 21.

Here’s the scoop from their web site:

Workshops will include an overview of BTOP-BIP programs, a review of the application process for NTIA
and RUS grants and loans and individual meetings with Rural Development headquarters and field staff.

Pre-registration will close for each city approximately 24 hours prior to each workshop.

Please select the workshop you will attend. If you will attend more than one workshop, complete the registration for your first city and submit a separate registration for any other you’d like to attend.

All workshops run from 8am – 5:30pm local time
Pre-registration will be from 6pm – 9pm local time the evening before each event.

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Lake County Submits RUS Loan Application for Fiber Network

July 1, 2009

Thanks to Gary Fields for passing on the following update on Lake County:

Lake County Submits RUS Loan Application for Fiber Network

Lake County, a rural county in northeastern Minnesota, has submitted a $34.5 million loan application to the USDA Rural Utility Service Broadband Loan Program. The proposed fiber network will include approximately 800 miles of fiber and serve over 7,300 homes and 500 businesses. Construction is expected to begin in 2010 and services are expected to be available in 2011. The application was developed by National Public Broadband, Inc., a new non-profit organization that was launched in May to assist communities develop and operate municipal fiber networks. NPB is led by Dr. Tim Nulty the Director of ECFiber in Vermont and the former manager of Burlington Telecom. NPB will design, build and operate the county-owned open access network and also provide retail voice, video and data services.

“There are many communities that understand the importance of fiber networks to their economic development, but they generally do not have the expertise to develop and operate the networks,” says Tim Nulty, “but as an independent, non-profit organization, we can do that efficiently in partnership with the community.” Gary Fields, NPB CFO adds, “With the public financing that is now available, we can serve rural areas, not just small communities. It is a level of market penetration that incumbents have not been able to reach.”

For more information, see www.nationalpublicbroadband.org

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Updated Connect Minnesota Maps

July 1, 2009

The folks at Connect Minnesota sent me this to pass on…

Connect Minnesota Updates Broadband Inventory Maps to Prepare for Federal Stimulus

Media Contact: Kasey McCrary For Immediate Release
kmccrary@connectednation.org
June 30, 2009
202-340-5776

Broadband map helps chart the course for prioritizing federal broadband stimulus funding

St. Paul, MN –Today, Connect Minnesota, a non-profit group partnering with the state, released an updated version of the statewide broadband inventory map that illustrates the extent of broadband services available across Minnesota. The Connect Minnesota map, which represents broadband availability data from 110 broadband providers across the state, is expected to serve as a key asset for the state as it prepares for federal stimulus funding to support broadband investment.

The Connect Minnesota broadband map was created through a collaborative, public-private approach to broadband mapping, as Congress prescribed in the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008. The map illustrates broadband service availability at the street level, based on information from all types of providers across Minnesota, including cable, telephone, wireless internet service providers, rural cooperatives and municipalities. Most importantly, the broadband map illustrates the service gaps that remain in rural and other hard-to-reach locations.

“Minnesota has laid the groundwork for broadband expansion with this map,” said Brian R. Mefford, CEO of Connected Nation, parent company of Connect Minnesota. “The federal government has set the expectation that states must be able to illustrate the extent of broadband coverage in order to prioritize broadband stimulus investments for unserved and underserved areas. This map will provide Minnesota the opportunity to emerge as a technology leader among states, becoming one of only a handful of states that have taken this important step. Minnesota is ahead of the game.”

The Connect Minnesota map was developed under the leadership of the Minnesota Department of Commerce and as directed by the Minnesota State Legislature in 2008. Through a rigorous system of broadband data collection, GIS analysis, and data verification, Connect Minnesota’s mapping project determined that broadband service is currently available to 94% of Minnesota households statewide. This leaves 97,282 Minnesota households who are unserved by any broadband provider.

Through its interactive mapping website, Connect Minnesota solicited the feedback of consumers and businesses across the state to refine and ensure the highest level of accuracy for the broadband maps. The interactive site allows individuals and businesses to search an address and generate a list of broadband providers serving each address serving the area as of June 30, 2009.

Currently, more than $7 billion is available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for broadband projects nationwide. In the ARRA, $350 million funds the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008. These grant funds are available for states to develop public-private partnerships for grassroots-driven expansion of broadband and computer use, particularly among unserved and underserved populations.

Connected Nation conducted a recent study of the impact of public-private broadband expansion programs funded through the Broadband Data Improvement Act and the ARRA. The study found that a comprehensive, grassroots-driven program for increased broadband access and use in Minnesota could result in a total economic impact of $2.8 billion through the creation of more than 48,000 jobs and cost savings in areas such as healthcare, the environment and through activities such as telecommuting.

Connected Nation is a national non-profit and the parent company of non-profit Connect Minnesota. Connected Nation works across the United States to create public-private partnerships that seek to increase the availability and the use of broadband and related technology. Through programs such as providing computers to underprivileged households and community service organizations, Connected Nation is able to effectively address barriers to adoption pertaining to affordability and tech literacy. Through its extensive national work, Connected Nation has proven that states and communities can realize a significant economic and social impact when broadband is universally available to all people wherever they may live.

# # #

About Connect Minnesota: Connect Minnesota is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the broadband-based development of Minnesota. Connect Minnesota is working in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and other public agencies as well as technology providers to develop a broadband inventory map for the purpose of improving digital inclusion statewide. For more information about Connect Minnesota, visit www.connectmn.org.

About Connected Nation: Connected Nation is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that expands access to and use of broadband Internet and the related technologies that are enabled when individuals and communities have the opportunity and desire to connect. Connected Nation effectively raises the awareness of the value of broadband and related technologies by developing coalitions of influencers and enablers for technology deployment and adoption. Connected Nation works with community stakeholders, states and technology providers to develop and implement technology expansion programs with core competencies centered around a mission to improve digital inclusion for people and places previously underserved or overlooked. For more information about Connected Nation, Inc., visit www.connectednation.org.

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Posted by Ann Treacy

Hayfield Broadband moves forward

June 30, 2009

According to the Rochester Post-Bulletin, Jaguar Communications, a competitive local exchange carrier based in Owatonna, will soon be offering FTTH in Hayfield, Minnesota.

It’s interesting to compare Hayfield’s path with a community such as Lake County. In Lake County, there is a community push. In Hayfield, Jaguar has taken the lead. I want to include a couple of paragraphs from the Post-Bulletin story, I think they’ve done a great job of describing the trials and tribulations a commercial provider may have to overcome before getting permission:

The final installation of the network is surprisingly easy; the planning to get to this point took years.

A new utility company must obtain permission from many state and federal agencies as well as each county, township and municipality in its territory.

In appearances at Claremont city council meetings, Hayfield city council meetings and Dodge County planning and zoning meetings, representatives from Jaguar have estimated they have dealt with more than 100 agencies or entities to get to this point.

I’m not advocating a community versus commercial approach or vice versa – I think the answer will be different for each community – but it sure seems that with both approaches the road could be smoother.

Hearing Jaguar’s story reminds me of the many conversations with the Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force on the role of government. It’s a challenging conversation for the Task Force – but clearly even if you can’t define it – government does play a role in broadband deployment.

Leave a Comment » | FTTH, MN, Policy, Rural, Vendors | Permalink
Posted by Ann Treacy

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