How do we get from here to there? Sometimes this question is literal like when my son and his friends are planning an evening out. Sometimes, it is policy oriented, like how do we reach community goals of economic vitality? Over many years, my work with communities has been about helping communities stimulate economic development by intervening in the private marketplace. These activities range from minor interventions like marketing (providing more information to prospective community investors) to financing businesses (loan guarantees or incentives) to the purchase, development and sale of industrial land and buildings. In each of these instances, you could argue that this is strictly a private sector role – for realtors, bankers and land owners and developers. The energy required for community action is generally equal to the failure of the private market to meet the needs of the community. Communities with robust economies (Twin Cities suburbs, for example) rely on the private sector for these activities. Rural communities may have comprehensive programs with a full suite of tools and strategies to overcome distance from markets, workforce shortages, lending practices and other impediments.

When we talk about “there” in telecommunications networks, most would agree that FTTP is it. A range of investors, like Verizon, CLECs in Morris, Brainerd, Wabasha and Grand Rapids, and the City of Windom demonstrate that fiber is the future. How do we get “there” from here? Getting “there” will be a huge investment, especially if we all want to get “there.” We need to have the discussion about how to get there, but this brings me back to the example of my son and his friends. Their conversation can sound disorganized and unrealistic. “I drove last time.” “I need money for gas.” “My parents will not let me drive that far.” The result is that sometimes everyone stays home. With FTTP, Minnesota cannot afford to stay home.

In many communities, the private marketplace has not provided signals that FTTP will be a reality any time soon. In fact, some telecommunications network owners dispute the growing importance of their own product as a defense for lack of investment! Lack of affordable, big bandwidth is increasingly seen as a significant constraint on community vitality by business.

Each community should not have to find its own path, on its own, in a non-collaborative environment. Minnesota needs to have the discussion with the key stakeholders at the table. Minnesota needs to come together on the goals; then identify a number of effective strategies for stimulating the required investment. Let’s get there.