Blandin on Broadband

News and information on broadband use, policy, and trends

Blandin on Broadband

North Mankato City leaders discuss proposed data center moratorium prior to City Council meeting on Sep 21 (Nicollet and Blue Earth Counties)

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KEYC show In the Spotlight features local leaders talking about a range of topics...

North Mankato Mayor Scott Carlson and City Administrator Kevin McCann joined Lisa Kaye on In the Spotlight to discuss the city’s upcoming legislative decisions, infrastructure updates, and a full calendar of community events.

Topping municipal business is the finalization of the city budget and property tax levy limits, along with an upcoming public hearing and council vote on a proposed one-year moratorium on data centers larger than 150,000 square feet, allowing leaders time to study environmental and infrastructure impacts. Mayor Carlson also shared updates on the reconstruction of the Spring Lake Park swim facility, highlighting new multi-age play features, expanded deck space, and engineering solutions designed to handle high water tables ahead of its reopening.

Check out the video for the full conversation. Data center talk starts about 3 minutes in for about a minute and they reference the upcoming City Council Regular meeting on September 21, 2026.

Striking doctors at Allina concerned about role of AI in decision making (Coon Rapids – Anoka County)

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The MN Star Tribune reports…

Dr. Ted Longinow was picketing at the Allina Health hospital in Coon Rapids, where he has worked for three decades, because he said physicians need a stronger role in decision-making at Mercy, where he believes the adoption of AI tools could interfere with their judgments about patients’ needs.

“We’re going to be seeing [AI] on the front lines sooner” in hospital care, said Longinow, a hospitalist (or inpatient doctor) at Mercy. “We want to be able to raise concerns about that for our patients and have a voice.”

The dispute over physician involvement in changes including AI use wasn’t the only reason for the strike, which is believed to be the first in U.S. history by staff doctors at a non-governmental hospital. The two sides remain divided on wages and sick pay, among other issues.

But the Mercy doctors said it will remain a priority when the walkout ends at 7 a.m. Friday and they return to bargaining after nearly two years and more than 60 negotiating sessions.

Allina is a big user of AI…

Allina has been an early adopter of artificial intelligence technologies, including a system that takes notes and summarizes them that has been well-received by doctors. The hospital also is using AI tools through a partnership with Ferrum Health to double-check doctors’ reads of imaging scans and cancer diagnoses.

Patient rooms in the expanded Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis include video boards capable of disseminating AI-gathered summaries to patients about their conditions and medical care.

AI tools also can help physicians select the best billing codes to maximize revenue from insurers, but that’s a slippery slope toward tools that could weed out high-cost patients, said Dr. John Wust, a staff obstetrician at Mercy’s Coon Rapids campus, who was striking this week.

[Added 30 minutes after original posting – a different video on the same topic from KARE11] 

EVENT Nov 19, 2026: MN Rural Health Policy Summit

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From the Minnesota Rural Health Association’s (MRHA) about their upcoming conference. It’s not strictly broadband or technology but I suspect they will come up…

The Minnesota Rural Health Association’s (MRHA) Rural Health Policy Summit is a one-day event — held on National Rural Health Day, Thursday, 11/19/2026 at the St. Cloud Best Western Kelly Inn, 9:00am – 4:30pm.   

 MRHA Rural Health Policy Summit offers rural health stakeholders an opportunity to learn and collaborate on shared rural health policies and strategies to ensure rural communities are vibrant and healthy across Minnesota.  You are invited to participate in conversations and discussions about industry trends and meaningful policy and strategy development. The 2026 Policy Summit is aiming to sustain rural health through transformative systems change. 

 Our one-day summit offers attendees, those rural-centric healthcare and community leaders from across our state, a dynamic environment to engage in the big question: What are key policies and strategies that can be adopted and/or adapted by rural-centric leaders and stakeholders for transformative systems change?  The format of the Summit includes opportunity for learning, conversations, discussion, and time to talk about what is going on around, and in, the state of Minnesota and to consider policy level and strategic level ideas and solutions that support rural health and vitality.   

Mediacom completes 12 fiber broadband projects across Minnesota

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NCTA – The Internet & Television Association reports on cable growth in the Midwest. Here’s what they report for Minnesota…

Minnesota

Mediacom completed 12 fiber broadband projects across Minnesota ahead of schedule, connecting more than 3,900 homes and businesses with over 400 miles of new fiber. The $24 million-plus public-private investment also enabled Mediacom to expand fiber to another 1,600 homes and businesses using private funding, with much of the construction reaching hard-to-connect areas such as northern Minnesota’s Iron Range.

 

Rep Kelly Morrison joins 100 colleagues urging the US House to address AI concerns

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Willmar Radio reports…

Minnesota Congresswoman Kelly Morrison is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to cancel the House recess over concerns about artificial intelligence. Morrison has joined more than 100 of her Congressional colleagues urging the House to stay in session and address the warnings from industry experts and leaders on risks posed by advanced AI. Members point to recent disclosures involving rogue AI agents, biological misuse, cyberattacks, foreign surveillance, and efforts by Chinese companies to replicate American AI systems. The members want the House to stay in session until safeguards are in place.

Tips to protect Minnesota homeowners from technology-supported real estate scams

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Mostly I like to talk up technology, point out awesome uses and maybe introduce some new trends. Today that includes some warnings. MinnPost reports…

The threat is showing up much more frequently. New data shows that nearly six in 10 title companies encountered at least one attempt by a criminal pretending to be a property owner in 2025. That’s double the number that reported seeing one just two years earlier.

What makes these schemes especially concerning is how convincing they can look and sound. Criminals are not relying only on obvious, fake emails anymore. More than half of title companies reported that they have encountered deepfake technology, including AI-generated voices and manipulated images that can make an imposter seem real.

Just last week, our systems detected that a consumer’s email account had been compromised and that communications were being intercepted from Russia. We immediately contacted the consumer and confirmed the breach. Quick action helped prevent the consumer from potentially losing several hundred thousand dollars. Most Minnesota families can’t afford to absorb such a loss on their own. It’s up to all of us to play a role, notice warning signs and be a part of the solution.

What concerns me most after four decades in this business is not simply that criminals are trying more often. It is that these schemes are more sophisticated and convincing, and the old warning signs are becoming less obvious. A fraudulent email now looks polished. A phone number appears familiar. Someone may know your property address, closing date and names of everyone involved in the transaction.

Consumers have to adjust, too. If someone creates urgency or suddenly changes wiring instructions, slow down. Independently verify the information using a phone number you already know rather than one contained in the email or text you just received. Familiar information should never substitute for independent verification.

Minnesota homeowners should also keep an eye on their property records. Counties across the state offer free property-notification services that can alert owners when certain documents involving their property are recorded. I use this type of service for my own home because I want to know if something changes without my knowledge.

There are also new protections worth asking about. Post-closing coverage is available in Minnesota, which can provide protection against fraud and forgery after someone already owns their home.

Faribault is facing a time crunch meeting agreements made to develop standards for data center proposal (Rice County)

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The Faribault Daily News report on a look back on the short history of data center activity in

When Archer’s attorneys met with city officials to decide on the March 31 delay on its environmental worksheet, the city agreed to expedite new data center regulations so Archer has enough time to rework its proposal to fit the regulations, the city said when defending its data center standard timeline at a meeting Tuesday evening.

If it doesn’t, Archer’s updated proposal would only have to be based on the city’s existing regulations, which lack any particular demands on data center developments. One city councilor said waiting could expose the city to litigation.

“We’re in a time crunch, and we created it by agreeing to a March 31 deadline. If we do not have our standards in place and hand it to Archer by the end of December or very early in January … we’re not going to have any standards in their proposal, because we will lose the court case,” Councilor Royal Ross said. “They will take us to court and say we didn’t give them enough time, and we will lose. That’s my opinion.”

The article goes on with quotes from various players from the community about whether they think the timeline is reasonable or not and varying degrees of concern for the consequences.

Harmony moves forward with revised proposed data center ordinance (Fillmore County)

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KTTC reports after yesterday’s Joint Planning Session Meeting..

A Fillmore County community is moving closer to finalizing local regulations for a potential data center.

Residents in Harmony got a look at the sixth draft of a proposed data center ordinance during a meeting Wednesday night. The review comes after city leaders examined resident feedback at their previous meeting and sent the language back to the city attorney for revisions.

Several key amendments were presented in the updated draft, including a mandate for a closed-loop cooling system and a requirement for an annual noise study to ensure facilities comply with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency standards.

The revised proposal would also cap water usage at 60,000 gallons per month for cooling systems unless granted special approval by the city. Additionally, the draft outright bans the use of non-disclosure agreements to ensure project details remain open to the public.

No formal council action was taken Wednesday as officials gathered further feedback from community members.

Next steps…

The draft ordinance will now head to the city’s planning and zoning committee during its meeting on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., where a public hearing will be held.

If the committee approves the draft, the ordinance will go before the Harmony City Council for final consideration.

US House bipartisan advances bill to curb AI data center utility costs

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CNBC reports…

The House on Wednesday advanced by a vote of 417-3 a first-of-its-kind bill that aims to curb data center-related utility bill rate hikes, as backlash to the proliferating facilities grows ahead of the 2026 midterm election.

The bipartisan bill — dubbed the Ratepayer Protection Act — is the first of its kind to establish standards that state regulators could adopt to require artificial intelligence data centers with a demand of 100 megawatts or more to cover the costs of building new power sources, transmission lines and other infrastructure, rather than passing those costs down to consumers. The Senate has not yet taken action on the measure.

A trio of progressive Democrats — Reps. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Delia Ramirez of Illinois and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan — were the only members to oppose the bill.

“The principle is commonsense: Those creating the new demand should be responsible for the costs associated with meeting that demand,” the bill sponsor Rep. Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican seeking reelection in one of the most tightly contested House seats this year, said in a Washington Reporter op-ed on Monday.

EVENT Oct 8: Building for Digital Equity webinar series

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From the Institute for Local Self Reliance…

Building for Digital Equity webinar series returns on October 8th at 3:00 pm ET with a timely question: with federal support for digital equity work in retreat, what does it actually take to keep this work alive, growing, and reaching people at the local level? Register here!

UofM student used AI makerspace to create app to detect sustainability of food

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I love a good makerspace story, especially in Minnesota! This one from the University of Minnesota caught my eye…

 [Student Daquari Hollins] started thinking, ‘Well, is there anything that exists that shows the sustainability practices of every product that you buy?’”

Hollins could not find an app on the market that offered that level of transparency, so he decided to build it himself.

The result is UConserve, a sustainability lifestyle app designed to give consumers immediate environmental transparency right at the grocery store shelf. By allowing users to scan the barcode of any domestic product, the application generates a screening-level estimate of its carbon footprint alongside deeper sustainability factors like acidification and eutrophication.

The tool bridges a critical gap for everyday shoppers trying to make ethical choices. In a time when socially conscious shoppers can find it difficult to understand a company’s carbon footprint, the app provides a glimpse into the hidden environmental toll of manufacturing, transportation and disposal.

He found a way at an AI Makerspace…

Turning his vision into a reality required bridging two historically isolated worlds: environmental data analysis and advanced computer science. When Hollins initially pitched the idea to peers in an environmental student group, he was met with skepticism. The work would likely be tedious to calculate an accurate environmental estimate for even a single item.

“I took that feedback in stride,” he says. “I was like, OK, it’s a huge undertaking, but that’s not impossible.”

To solve the scale problem, Hollins looked outside traditional sustainability disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach led him to the University of Minnesota’s AI Makerspace, where he collaborated with its manager, Joe Finnegan, and eventually consulted nationwide life-cycle assessment (LCA) professionals. By combining environmental science with machine learning, the team found a way to take massive, vetted government databases and translate them into an instantaneous mobile tool.

Located in Walter Library, the College of Science and Engineering’s AI Makerspace serves as a hybrid physical and digital sandbox designed to break down barriers for students from all academic backgrounds. Whether a student is studying computer science or philosophy, such as Hollins, the space provides free access to high-powered computing resources and expert guidance.

Wright County board is grappling with proposed satellite ground station facility

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I am amazed at the issues coming up for county boards and city/township councils these days based on increased technology needs and opportunities. I’ve been writing a lot about local governments learning more data centers. Today, it’s a community that is talking about a satellite ground station facility in their community. Similar to the data center issue, elected officials are dealing with a topic that they might not know well. And as is often the case with technology, the parameters change, often more quickly that the regulations can keep up.

Wright County Commissioners are dealing with a satellite ground station facility. They have concerns, such a proximity to the local airport. They are grappling with understanding how a satellite ground station facility fits into existing plans and zoning as well as rules and ordinances.

I find it helpful to read the proposed resolution (text also pasted below) and then watch the watch the video from the Board meeting (from Sep 16, 2026) to understand the conundrum. There are differences in the understanding or interpretation of existing rules and ordinances how that guidance can help with satellites. You can see that board members are getting frustrated because they don’t have polices in place to help direct their actions.

In the end, the Board decided (3-2 vote) not to pass the resolution but then unanimously voted to send this to the revisor to follow up. Also, any action (from the satellite ground station) would be stopped if station moved more than 500 cubic yards of land alteration, which is the existing rule.

Here’s the Wright County meetings proposed resolution:

A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR TO ISSUE A ZONING

ADMINISTRATOR’S OPINION REGARDING THE SATELLITE GROUND STATION FACILITY

UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN ROCKFORD TOWNSHIP

WHEREAS, the Wright County Board of Commissioners has identified concerns regarding public safety, aviation safety, consumer protection, and broadband grant eligibility associated with a satellite ground station facility under construction in Rockford Township, Wright County (the “Ground Station”); and WHEREAS, the Ground Station is located at 2337 5th St SE, Buffalo, Minnesota 55313, within Rockford Township, Wright County; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.025 vests the Zoning Administrator with authority to interpret the County’s zoning ordinance and to issue written opinions regarding the conformity of proposed and ongoing land uses and structures with the ordinance’s requirements;

WHEREAS, the Ground Station is located within the County’s Agricultural (AG) Zoning District, and Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 sets forth the conditional, interim and permitted uses within the AG District;

WHEREAS, a satellite ground station facility consisting of more than one satellite dish is not listed as a conditional, interim or permitted use under §§ 155.048 or 155.106; and

WHEREAS, the Agricultural (AG) Zoning District’s conditional, interim or permitted uses under Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 do not constitute a zoning district where commercial or industrial uses are generally permitted and of the installation, maintenance, or use of satellite earth station antennas within the meaning of 47 C.F.R. § 25.104, and the preemption set forth therein does not apply; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.106 permits one satellite dish per property as an accessory use, and the Ground Station, consisting of multiple satellite dishes and associated infrastructure exceeds the scope of the single-dish accessory use permitted under § 155.106; and

WHEREAS, Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048(E) provides that any use not listed as a permitted, conditional, or interim use is prohibited; and

WHEREAS, the Board finds it necessary and appropriate to direct the Zoning Administrator to formally review the Ground Station and immediately issue a written Zoning Administrator’s Opinion addressing its compliance with the County’s zoning ordinance before construction proceeds further;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Wright County Board of Commissioners as follows:

  1. The Board finds, based on Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048 that a satellite ground station facility is not listed as a permitted, conditional, or interim use within the Agricultural (AG) Zoning District, and that the Ground Station is therefore a prohibited use within that zoning district.

  2. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue a written Zoning Administrator’s Opinion, consistent with the Board’s findings in this Resolution, determining that the Ground Station is a prohibited use under Wright County Zoning Ordinance § 155.048.

  3. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue, concurrent with or as part of the Zoning Administrator’s Opinion, a stop-work order halting further construction of the Ground Station pending compliance with the Wright County Zoning Ordinance.

  4. The Zoning Administrator is directed to issue the Zoning Administrator’s Opinion and stop-work order within two business days of the adoption of this Resolution, and to promptly transmit copies to the Board, Rockford Township, the property owner, and to the company proposing to construct the Ground Station

Otter Tail County is asking questions about data centers, resources and authority within regulations and local governments

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The Fergus Falls Journal reports…

If a corporation purchased farmland in an Otter Tail County township to build a data center, and the township lacked a zoning ordinance, would the township have any say? That was a question posed at the Otter Tail County Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The conversation on data centers was spurred by a request from Deputy Administrator Nick Leonard. He asked for permission to apply to attend a two-day training regarding best practices for data center development that is set to take place in December in South Carolina. It was noted that only 15 applicants from across the U.S. would be accepted.

I hope the Deputy Administrator has an opportunity to share what he learned in the training. It sounds like the conversation at the board meeting posed many potential scenarios and part of the reason was understanding that the county may have more resources than townships to address the topic. Here’s one example of an issue…

Commissioner Sean Sullivan, who represents District 5 of Fergus Falls, responded, “I think we discussed that we would take them as they came before us individually.”

Commissioner Wayne Johnson, who serves District 2, which includes Star Lake, added, “My understanding, currently, is if it stands outside lakeshore we really have nothing to say.”

The county has regulations in place for property that has shoreline on waterfronts , or is in close proximity to a body of water. The oversight of such projects often starts with the county’s Planning Commission. According to the county website, “The planning commission considers projects located in the shoreland areas for conditional use permits” and “projects located in the non-shoreland areas.” Typically, the commissioners review the planning commissioners recommendations and either approve or deny them.

An example of township versus county…

“So it is up to each township then?” Bucholz asked.

“Yes,” Johnson responded.

Bucholz asked what happens if a township doesn’t have a zoning ordinance.

“Landowner rights, basically,” Johnson replied. “The guy wants to sell it and they want to develop it and the township doesn’t have any say in it; it’s game on for the data center.”

And impact on local fire stations…

Another concern that data centers may bring to the doorsteps of townships has to do with the volunteer fire departments that often serve those rural areas. Berg-Moberg explained the power source that a data center may use may require specialized equipment and additional training by fire department members, which may lead to increased costs for townships.

Fergus Falls is not alone in grappling with these decisions.

MN Broadband Task Force September 2026: Otter Tail Digital Access and Benton on MN broadband speed goals

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The Task Force heard from Otter Tail County on their broadband experience. It was nice to hear about the impact Blandin has had on their access. The Office of Broadband Development gave an update of how things are going with BEAD and other programs. John Horrigan from Benton Institute for Broadband and Society talked about access and adoption and trends over time to percentage of coverage and speeds as well as changes in recent goals from speed, access and affordability to more access and affordability.

The Task Force also decided to send a comment to the FCC in support of E-Rate

Meeting Agenda Continue reading →

MPR asks and answers questions about AI, security and regulation

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MPR reports…

The CEOs of the country’s top AI companies are unifying in their call for a global slowdown on AI development, after two former researchers at Anthropic shared concerns that AI is becoming too powerful too quickly and could ultimately threaten humanity’s survival.

Manjeet Rege is the director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas and also author of the book “Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Frameworks, Risks and Society.” He spoke to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about AI technology, its risks and regulation.

Here are the questions they ask. You can check out the article for the answers:

  • The post from a former Anthropic employee has more than 170 million views. It says: ‘The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.’ What is your reaction to that?
  • Why can’t AI companies get ahead of the technology?
  • What is an example of an action AI may take that would be concerning?
  • What would good or effective AI regulation look like at this point?
  • President Trump has downplayed the need for new AI guardrails, saying that it would put the United States behind China. Why is that important, and how much of the conversation should that be?