Blandin on Broadband

News and information on broadband use, policy, and trends

Blandin on Broadband

More info on recent Paul Bunyan Communications upgrades in Itasca and St. Louis counties

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The Grand Rapids Herald Reviews shares more information about the recent Paul Bunyan Communications upgrades…

Paul Bunyan Communications started construction in late April on expanding the all fiber optic network, the GigaZone®, to over 600 more locations in Itasca and St. Louis County across five townships.

This project includes areas south and west of the city of Cook including parts of the following townships: Alango, Carpenter, Field, Sturgeon, and an unorganized township east of Carpenter.

Currently crews are working in in portions of Sturgeon Township and the unorganized township east of Carpenter Township. North Central Services, a business member of our cooperative out of Bemidji, is the contractor doing the construction. Their vehicles are marked and there will also be magnets on some with the Paul Bunyan Communications logo to help identify the project.

 

The first stage of the construction process is installing the main fiber network which is followed by installing the connections up to individual homes and businesses that have signed up to be connected. Once those two stages are completed, our clean up/restoration crews will come through, and our team will work to splice the fiber network. Once it is operational in a project area, customers who signed up for service will be contacted to schedule service installations. A video on how the construction process works is located on the Paul Bunyan Communications YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZqT58jqG_4

NTIA chief counsel says BEAD will be the last broadband deployment program the US needs

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Communications Daily reports…

NTIA sees the current BEAD program as the “last broadband subsidy program” the U.S. will need, said David Brodian, the agency’s chief counsel, during an FCBA webinar Thursday. Brodian’s comments were at odds with those from other officials who questioned whether the current program will lead to universal coverage (see 2606110064). Brodian also said NTIA is still considering the best use of non-deployment funds.

EVENT June 18: MN Broadband Task Force June Meeting Agenda

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From the Office of Broadband Development...

Agenda: Broadband Task Force, June Meeting

Date: 06/18/2026

Virtual Meeting Join the meeting now.

· Meeting ID and Pass Code: Meeting ID: 212 899 378 597 44 and Passcode: mT99A99L

· Dial in by phone: +1 651-395-7448,,202303976# · Join on a video conferencing device: Tenant key: 5 Video ID 119 695 357 1

Meeting Agenda

10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m.

Welcome from Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband and approval of minutes from May Task Force meeting.

10:05 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

Presentation featuring BEAD updates and overviews from Christopher Lord, Sr. Director, Government Partnership Opportunities, Mediacom and Kathy Lund, Vice President of Technical Services, Nuvera.

Followed by additional updates from the Office of Broadband Development’s Jennifer Frost, State/Federal Programs and Compliance Manager, and Megan Messerole, Broadband Environmental/Land Use Coordinator.

10:50 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

Overview of HOUSES Index, a tool developed to provide individual-level socioeconomic measure with relevancy to broadband and exploration of potential benefits from:

· Young Juhn, MD, MPH, Mayo Clinic, Professor of Pediatrics | Research Chair of Mayo Clinic Health Systems | Director of the Artificial Intelligence Program of Mayo Clinic Children | Director of Precision Population Science Lab and HOUSES Program

· Chung Wi, MD, Mayo Clinic, Associate Professor of Pediatrics| Co-Director, AI Validation and Stewardship Program, Mayo Clinic Health System| Associate Director, Mayo Clinic Children’s AI

Program| Associate Director, Precision Population Science Lab and the HOUSES Program | Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

· Dale Shim, MBA, Mayo Clinic, Head of Commercialization & Strategic Partnerships

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Office of Broadband Development overview and updates from Bree Maki (Executive Director, OBD).

12:00 p.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Open the floor to other business, reminder on no meeting in July, and meeting wrap-up

Notes: Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting (June 12)

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Today I attended the online-based Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting. The TAC is a permanent body to advise Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and executive branch agencies on strategic information technology initiatives and service delivery. Meetings are open to the public. I took pretty loose notes but I feel like I soaked up a lot of information that would be valuable for policymakers and policy-followers. I suspect it would be handy if you had a business in any of the areas discussed too. Attendees are the folks on the frontlines and a lot of practical tips flow freely on how to plan and deploy enterprise technology projects.

Updates from MNIT

Updates on 2026 Legislature

Ten Lessons about Service Delivery (by looking at process of paid leave)

Final Draft Work Plan

Sen Klobuchar and others introduce bipartisan legislation to improve competition in the Digital Marketplace

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The US Senate Committee on Judiciary reports...

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) today introduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA). The targeted, bipartisan bill would restore online competition and affordability by preventing the world’s largest digital platforms from abusing their market power to stifle competition, undercut online businesses and raise prices for American consumers.

AICOA would allow the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general to challenge the world’s largest online platforms for discriminatory or exclusionary conduct that harms competition. AICOA preserves legitimate safety, privacy, intellectual property, national security and constitutional protections, as well as popular services provided by large digital platforms.

Rep. Delaney calls out Commerce Department for unlawfully withholding funds for Universal Broadband

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I’m borrowing the recap from the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society on the following. It you want more information, I suggest reading the original letter …

Representative April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06) led a letter with her House colleagues demanding that the Department of Commerce explain its continued withholding of appropriated funds that Congress explicitly authorized under its historic $65 billion-dollar internet initiative known as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program. Prior to serving as a Member of Congress, Rep. McClain Delaney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Deputy Administrator at NTIA under the Biden-Harris Administration and helped build and launch the national BEAD program. The Congressional letter, directed to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and NTIA Assistant Secretary Arielle Roth, again lifted up questions from Members that have gone unanswered for over eight months. Members are deeply concerned about the Administration’s lack of transparency and the long overdue withholding of “nondeployment funds.” The letter is co-signed by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Troy Carter (D-LA-02). In addition to the Congresswoman’s letter to Commerce and NTIA, she is introducing the Broadband Deployment and Economic Impact Study Act, which directs NTIA to conduct a comprehensive study of the technologies used to provide broadband internet access services. The study would evaluate key factors such as workforce requirements, geographic deployment capabilities, technology lifespan, and monthly consumer costs across various broadband technologies, from fiber-optic cable to satellites. The bill is cosponsored by Reps. James Clyburn (D-SC-06), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Cleo Fields (D-LA-06), and Shomari Figures (D-AL-02).

ImOn communications breaks ground on $100 million fiber network in Duluth to serve 51,000 homes by 2027 (St Louis County)

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Northern New Now reports…

A broadband provider is breaking ground on a new fiber network in Duluth, part of what the company estimates is a $100 million investment in local internet infrastructure.

ImOn communications announced the project Wednesday.

The company says the new fiber build will reach about 25,000 homes this year. In 2027, it expects to connect another 26,000.

During construction, crews will install both underground and aerial fiber using existing utility poles. The project will roll out in sections, with work already underway near UMD.
ImOn says residents will get notice before construction begins on their street. Residents interested in service can sign up online.

Paul Bunyan Communications broadband expansion in Itasca and St. Louis Counties

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Paul Bunyan Communications reports…

Paul Bunyan Communications started construction in late April on expanding the all-fiber optic network, the GigaZone®, to over 600 more locations in Itasca and St. Louis County across five townships.
This project includes areas south and west of the city of Cook including parts of the following townships: Alango, Carpenter, Field, Sturgeon, and an unorganized township east of Carpenter.
Currently crews are working in in portions of Sturgeon Township and the unorganized township east of Carpenter Township. North Central Services, a business member of our cooperative out of Bemidji, is the contractor doing the construction. Their vehicles are marked and there will also be magnets on some with the Paul Bunyan Communications logo to help identify the project.
The first stage of the construction process is installing the main fiber network which is followed by installing the connections up to individual homes and businesses that have signed up to be connected. Once those two stages are completed, our clean up/restoration crews will come through, and our team will work to splice the fiber network. Once it is operational in a project area, customers who signed up for service will be contacted to schedule service installations. A video on how the construction process works is located on the Paul Bunyan Communications YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZqT58jqG_4
For those unfamiliar with Paul Bunyan Communications, we are a member-owned broadband cooperative that has served northern Minnesota since 1952. There are no membership fees or annual dues, membership is gained when a resident or business subscribes to local phone service or GigaZone® Broadband Internet service. The cooperative headquarters is in Bemidji with a Customer Service & Technology Center located in Grand Rapids.
Sign Up Now to Ensure Fiber Optic Connection Residents and businesses in these expansion areas are encouraged to sign up for service now, before construction crews move on to ensure the fiber optic connection is brought up to the location. That can be done quickly and easily online at paulbunyan.net or in person at one of our office locations.
Services Available Upon Completion Once the network is live, customers will have access to Paul Bunyan’s GigaZone® services, including high-speed fiber-optic Internet with speeds up to 10 Gig and dependable, low-cost unlimited local and long-distance GigaZone® voice services.
This project is made possible through the State of Minnesota, Department of Employment & Economic Development, Low-Density Population Broadband Infrastructure Development Grant Program. This project is estimated to cost $7,810,355, with the State of Minnesota’s Low-Population Density Program grant contributing $3,924,157, Paul Bunyan Communications investing $2,203,928, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) investing $1,000,000, St. Louis County investing $583,250, Alango Township $41,200, Field Township $17,800, and Sturgeon Township $40,000.

Pew outlines the importance of the State Offices of Broadband Development

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Kathryn de Wit and Jake Varn write about the importance of State Offices of Broadband Development for Pew…

States continue to make headway on the implementation of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a $42 billion federal initiative to connect all Americans to high-speed internet. As state broadband offices (SBOs) collaborate with other government agencies, internet service providers (ISPs), and communities to meet BEAD’s rapid four-year construction deadlines, state lawmakers should ensure that SBOs continue to have sufficient authority and capacity to effectively use BEAD funds and address statewide connectivity needs.

The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development opened in 2014 and has remained open since. Having an office has made is possible to advocate and distribute funding wisely – that includes but not exclusively mean BEAD funding.

A glimpse at the job of an American Connection Corps Digital Navigator

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society features an article today from an American Connection Corps Digital Navigator. I thought some readers might relate closely to the story and others might benefit from learning about some of the resources…

In our current age, we are all constantly learning, growing, and navigating a rapidly changing digital landscape. This reality has created a growing need for support systems that help people build confidence in the digital world. Ensuring that everyone can participate fully in that landscape requires intentional, community-based resources.

Programs like the American Connection Corps (ACC), an AmeriCorps program of Lead For America, support efforts to expand digital inclusion and bridge the digital divide by activating members to serve in their own communities alongside local organizations. Through this work, they help build the digital connectivity needed to expand opportunity and economic mobility. ACC members collaborate with these organizations to address the digital divide while gaining hands-on professional experience.

During my time as an ACC member, I served as a digital navigator at the Blasco Memorial Library in Erie (PA). We had many regulars who participated in our programs, and one in particular who stands out is Margaret.

Appeals court says City of Faribault must undertake a more thorough environmental review of a proposed data center

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Bring Me the News reports…

An appeals court has decided that the City of Faribault must undertake a more thorough environmental review of a proposed hyperscale data center before the project can move forward.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA), challenging the adequacy of an environmental assessment worksheet that was approved by Faribault officials, and demanding an in-depth environmental impact statement to better analyze potential impacts of the Archer Datacenters project.

The article includes a concise summary of the saga of the data center plans in Faribault/

Previously unused Rural Health Care Program Funding carries forward to 2026 applications

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The FCC announces…

By this Public Notice, the Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau), in consultation with the Office of the Managing Director (OMD), announces the amount of unused funds for the Rural Health Care (RHC) Program that have been carried forward for funding year 2026.1 The Commission’s rules for the RHC Program establish a process to carry forward unused funds from past funding years for use in future funding years.2 In consultation with OMD, the Bureau must announce a specific amount of unused funds from prior funding years to be carried forward to increase available funding for future funding years.

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) projects that, as of April 30, 2026, $226.42 million in unused funds is available for use in future funding years beginning in funding year 2026.4 Pursuant to the Commission’s direction and section 54.619(a)(4)-(5) of the Commission’s rules, the Bureau, in consultation with OMD, directs USAC to carry forward up to $226.42 million in unused funds from prior funding years to the extent necessary to satisfy funding year 2026 RHC Program demand.

With the carry-forward funding announced in this Notice, eligible RHC Program funding requests filed during the funding year 2026 application filing window or filed after the close of the filing window but received a waiver of the application filing deadline can be fully funded without prioritization. The RHC Program funding cap for funding year 2026 is $744,161,841.7 The internal cap on multi-year commitments and upfront payments under the Healthcare Connect Fund Program is $187,898,742.8 These funding year 2026 caps represent a 2.8% inflation-adjusted increase to the RHC Program funding cap and the internal cap on multi-year commitments and upfront payments from funding year 2025.9 The estimated total RHC Program demand for funding year 2026 is $911.25 million,10 of which approximately $166.75 million represents demand for multi-year commitments and upfront payments in the Healthcare Connect Fund.

Internet provider RadioLink Internet formerly serving Ellendale closes doors (Steele County)

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KTTC reports...

RadioLink Internet (RLI) notified customers in an email last week it was shutting down immediately. …

The company, which was based at Petsinger’s home in Ellendale, provided internet for residents across approximately 5,000 square miles in southern Minnesota.

Petsinger said a changing political climate in some of the communities his company provided internet for and a declining customer base led to the closing.

In an email sent to KTTC, Petsinger alleged the cities of Ellendale and New Richland violated the Telecommunications Act of 1996 “by shutting down broadband competition.”

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 states “No State or local statute or regulation, or other State or local legal requirement, may prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the ability of any entity to provide any interstate or intrastate telecommunications service.”

New Richland’s city administrator, Tyler Lendt, told KTTC the city council voted in May 2026 to remove RLI’s equipment from its water tower with a 60-day notice. Lendt said the city and company had contract from 2013 to 2018, but the equipment hadn’t been removed since the contracted ended.

Responding to the Telecommunications Act allegation, Lendt said the council’s decision to end the contract was “based on ensuring that the city was fairly compensate and, most importantly, one of the city’s most crucial pieces of infrastructure was protected.”

A representative from Ellendale has yet to provide comment.

Living in a rural area of Steele County, Ludeman said she relied on RLI’s fast internet speed during the COVID-19 pandemic to work remotely and needed the connection to better use her phone.

Trump releases memorandum on use of AI with Military and Intelligence Community

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The Trump Administration reports…

Under my Administration, the United States can and will responsibly accelerate the use of AI across intelligence and warfighting domains in line with American values.  The United States possesses the most effective and moral military in the history of world.  It is also among the most trusted institutions in American life.  That trust is rooted in an unbroken chain of command and accountability, from our democratic process through civilian and military leadership, to the men and women who carry out the mission.

This is their policy:

Sec. 2.  Policy.  My Administration will accelerate the development and use of AI for national security applications, guided by the following four pillars:

(a)  Adoption.  The national security enterprise shall accelerate AI adoption by identifying mission areas where AI can enhance operational effectiveness and eliminating unnecessary barriers to rapid deployment.  To this end, the national security enterprise shall maintain deep, proactive partnerships with industry, to make the most advanced frontier models broadly available to national security professionals without delay, ensuring technological overmatch while driving rapid experimentation and validation across potential applications.

(b)  Adaptation.  The national security enterprise shall adapt commercial or open-source AI technologies, leveraging the most cutting-edge capabilities available from diverse suppliers across the private sector, large and small, while ensuring that AI technologies chosen are optimized for their intended use.  In cases where the use of a commercial solution is not appropriate due to security or mission limitations, executive departments and agencies (agencies) may deploy commercially or internally customized AI technologies or develop AI technologies internally.  Such technologies shall be made available across the national security enterprise to support multiple missions where possible.

(c)  Assurance.  The national security enterprise shall assure that all AI technologies adopted are designed to be reliable, robust, steerable, and controllable, and that they operate, in accordance with applicable laws, government policies, and guidance.  To protect American warfighters, the national security enterprise shall ensure, through contractual clauses or other means, that no commercial entity or adversary possesses the capability to prevent use of, disable or degrade, or materially modify without Federal Government knowledge and approval, an AI system that our men and women depend on for their missions.  In addition, rigorous security and functionality measures, including testing, evaluation, validation, and verification, shall be implemented to assure the appropriate confidentiality, integrity, reliability, availability, and interoperability of AI systems across the national security enterprise.

(d)  Accountability.  American AI technologies shall neither be developed nor used by the national security enterprise to censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unauthorized or unlawful surveillance activities.  The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens.  Commanders, directors, and heads of agencies shall remain responsible and accountable for ensuring that these obligations are met at every level of command, and that such accountability keeps pace with the evolution of AI capabilities and regulations governing the privacy and civil liberties of American citizens.

Electric cooperatives concerned with BEAD changes (fiber and pole attachments)

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Light Reading reports...

As electric cooperatives descend upon Washington, DC, this week for their fifth-annual Broadband Leadership Summit, they bring with them a number of policy priorities and concerns. Among those is their growing distress at the direction of the federal government’s $42 billion BEAD program.

“Quite frankly, some decisions have been made in the BEAD program that we are not happy with,” said Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), during a press conference last week ahead of the summit. NRECA represents the interests of the country’s electric co-ops, of which roughly 200 offer retail broadband service in the US.

There were at least two issues for the electric coops: fiber…

“We were pretty disappointed that the preference for fiber was removed. We think that shifts the program’s focus from what would be more of a proven, durable, scalable broadband technology. So we were not in favor of that decision,” added Matheson. The Trump administration stripped BEAD of its fiber preference last June, forcing states to re-do their bidding processes to instead award the lowest-cost bidders.

And pole attachment rules for electric coops…

In addition to BEAD losing its fiber preference, co-ops are also worried about ever-changing rules for the federal broadband program that make it harder for them to participate: “It adds to confusion, it adds to delay, it adds to cost. That’s been disappointing,” said NRECA’s Matheson.

One change of particular concern to electric cooperatives is the NTIA’s decision to impose FCC pole attachment rules on co-ops participating in the BEAD program, despite co-ops typically being exempt from federal pole attachment regulations. The FCC rules cap the rates pole owners may impose and set time limits on processing pole attachment applications. The regulation applies across the service provider’s entire footprint, not just within the BEAD-funded area.