Earlier this week the Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications Committee met to talk about how to take advantage of President Elect Obama’s stimulus package.
I wasn’t able to attend on January 13 – but I was able to watch and take notes today. You can watch it online too or you can read my notes… Continue reading
Here are the notes from the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Task Force January Meeting. I’ve done my best to track the main action.
The first meeting with remotes sites seems to be going well and they couldn’t have chosen a better day for it, since it was about one billion degrees below zero. Here are the quick open meeting/technology ground rules related to the remote sites: Folks on audio-only can talk but are not official attendees; they cannot be counted towards the quorum. Folks on video are full participants. It sounds as if the streaming video will be a part of the meetings soon too.
One personal note: I think these are starting to get interesting because I’m not the swiftest bunny in the hutch and even I got that there were some undercurrents happening in regards to everyone having their own ideas and agendas. Continue reading
This upcoming event looks great. I’m passing on the info asis. TISP always does a good job.
The Humphrey Institute Center for Science, Technology, and Public Policy presents
Today’s Online Privacy Challenges: Innovation and Liberty
www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/stpp/MinnesotaPrivacySymposium.html
January 26th, 8:00-1:30
Cowles Auditorium, Humphrey Institute
University of Minnesota
Free and open to the public
RSVP is required. Email cstpp@umn.edu
Join us for a half-day conference which will explore the benefits, risks and values at stake in evaluating corporate and government internet privacy policies.
Concerns for the privacy of online activity have been around for years. Minnesota adopted privacy regulations that apply to Internet service providers in 2002. Since then we have seen the rise of Google, MySpace, Facebook and a host of other Web-based services that have the potential to accumulate vast amounts of data about the online behavior of individuals. This conference will provide an up-to-date look at web innovation and its effect on individual liberties.
The program will include presentations from renowned experts and policy makers:
I’ve been reading more about the DTV transition in the news these days. The transition deadline was supposed to be February 17 – although President Elect Obama is apparently re-thinking the timing. I haven’t been paying of ton of attention – because I’m more interested in the opposite end of the transition – what’s going to happen to the open white space created by the transfer to digital TV.
But I was interested when I was invited to a meeting where the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund (LCCREF) hosted Communities of Color and Untraditional media brainstorming meeting regarding the transition to digital television at the Main Street Project.
The objective was to talk about what was needed to prepare the community for the transition and what was available to ethic and untraditional media to help. It was pretty eye opening for me. Lots of people aren’t prepared and that’s going to be an issue. First – TV is how many people get news and emergency updates. Second – TV is a great pastime. Without TV people are going to find themselves with some extra time on their hands. As one attendee pointed out – they probably won’t all pick up reading the paper to fill the hours.
So this is a big issue – but also I thought that it was a sneak peek of what might happen if there was a real push to brining broadband to the entire State. Here are some of the big roadblocks:
The other reason I was really glad I went to the meeting was an inspirational perspective from Amalia Anderson form the Main Street Project. Amalia pointed out that DTV might be the issue at hand but the longer lasting solution is to use this opportunity to develop skills and capacity to solve problems with the target communities – not just set up a DTV converter box. We need to build on a movement – DTV today maybe broadband tomorrow. (OK I added the broadband specifically – Amalia actually mentioned census, but I feel she’d be OK with me using broadband too.)
Dave Russell of Calix has shared several copies of the company’s two new videos titled “Exponential Generation” that promote the need for and the value of high bandwidth networks.
Calix is a broadband equipment manufacturer specializing in FTTH technology and has facilities in Plymouth, MN. Dave Russell is a very active member of the Fiber to the Home Council.
The videos show how people are using the Internet, especially by people in the younger age groups. The videos are short, fun and informative. Dave has provided me with several copies so that I can share. Unfortunately, they are too big for most people to effectively download, so they will have to be distributed via snail mail. Send an email to broadband@blandinfoundation.org if you are interested.
The USDA is accepting applications for grants through the 2009 Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program to provide access to education, training and healthcare resources in rural areas.
Complete applications must be received by March 24.
To be eligible, your organization must:
Good luck. I’d love to see some MN communities get the funding.
I met the other day with some folks who are as interested in the Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force as I am. Some of us had attended the monthly meeting – a few actually sit at the big folks’ table. We got to talking about one of the planned topics for the next meeting where task force members are asked to think of their top broadband principles – or their priorities for the ultimate report. You know – what do they really want to say to the legislators.
We went around the table and talked about our principles. We were birds of a feather so we came to quick agreement. But we wanted to hear from more folks so I’m asking … What principles would you like to see featured highly in the task force’s final report to the legislature? Please post any thoughts in the comments. Or maybe you could take a quick poll to let us know which of the principles below you value most highly? Here are the principles I listed on the poll:
While the principles above did come up in our conversation, I actually pulled them from the Blandin Broadband Strategy Board Broadband Vision. Bill Coleman brought these up the Senator Klobuchar meeting; he mentioned that he was impressed at how well they stood the test of time. I have to say that we found the same today. But again the big question is what do you think?
On February 24, the City of North St Paul will hold a special election on an $18.5 million bond to build a fiber-optic network to provide high-speed Internet, telephone and cable services as a utility in North St. Paul, similar to electric and garbage services.
I want to include a couple of quotes in the Pioneer Press from local leaders on the FTTH plan because I think they are so good:
In 1888, when railroads came to North St. Paul, 25 new businesses followed, creating a boomtown, City Council Member Bob Bruton said. A second wave of growth came with the highway, years later.
“The idea here is to become the best-connected small town in Minnesota,” he [Wally Wysopal] said. “We’re not getting into this for the sake of providing lower rates for cable or telephone but to provide a service that’s superior to anything that’s being contemplated today.”
I’ve been in a few conversations lately, related to broadband and other issues, where we decided that one of the problems we face today is that we in Minnesota and we in the US are no longer working to be number one – and aiming to be number 15 is kind of sad. So I’m thrilled to hear about someone who is going for the gold. I can’t wait to hear how the vote goes.
Earlier this week President Elect Obama spoke about his stimulus package. He promised that this wouldn’t be just another public works program. He wants federal money to invest in infrastructure such as roads, bridges and broadband in rural areas. The goal is to expand “broadband lines across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.”
So it’s great that he mentioned rural and broadband. I’ve posted articles on the number of jobs that will be created by a large scale broadband deployment project and the economic impact of broadband in a rural area. We love to see that. Well, it seems like we ought to love it – but some people have had some thought-provoking perspectives.
The Daily Yonder point out that broadband is all rural areas have seen or heard from Obama up to this point. Families cannot live on broadband alone. They are afraid that other rural needs are being forgotten. The example they give is the White House Task Force on Working Families. It includes the Secretaries of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, as well as folks from the president’s economic team. But the Secretary of Agriculture was not included in the original announcement.
The good news is that there are members of Congress who are aware of this discrepancy and they are speaking up. As Daily Yonder notes, “Democratic Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (of South Carolina) leads several House Democrats who ‘are pushing for language in the economic stimulus package that will ensure that rural communities and more impoverished areas receive their fair share of development funds,’ according to Congress Daily.”
It will be telling to see how Obama is able to fit that perspective into his plan. I think/hope that there is room for such collaboration and expansion of his plan.
Art Brodsky at Public Knowledge has other concerns. The title of his post is a top off, Stimulus Package Shouldn’t Reward Bad Broadband Behavior. His concern is that we’re pouring more money into a solution that didn’t work the first time around. (I paraphrase hugely.) As with the Daily Yonder, he’s got a point. I’ve read several articles where Qwest has promoted Obama’s plan – including a local article in the West Central Tribune. (OK, promote is a little strong for the article – but I love to use MN examples.)
Brodsky points out that if underserved areas are going to be served then the local incumbents need to “clean up their acts, or they have to make way for others.” He also says the consumers need to benefit too – which sounds a lot like feedback on the big bank bailouts of late. (I have to add my own note to say that some incumbents are great.)
He suggested getting the FCC to open up competition by allowing for other companies to have access to the lines of telecom and cable companies through wholesale or line sharing. Also support for consumers and companies, like Lifeline or universal service, should be reconfigured to encourage broadband.
He offers a grant process too – but says we should open it up to anyone in underserved areas, including municipalities. Incumbents could qualify under conditions that could range from line sharing and wholesaling to build-out and data speed requirements with obligations to report publicly on deployment progress and location.
Finally he suggests that early adopter consumers get tax breaks too for upping their broadband orders. I love that. So we consumers get a bump and providers get a bump in demand.
I used to have to look a little to find broadband stories – now I feel as if I can’t turn a corner without hearing about another great use or deployment. It’s great – I hope it’s a sign that more is going to be happening.
Today I read about the 2008 highlights in Carver County and broadband popped up, “High-speed, broadband technology has made its way to Carver County. To create a more connected county, the board approved a fiber optic project linking the county’s cities, schools and libraries, and ultimately businesses and homeowners, at light speed for transferring data and information sharing.”
I found an older article on their plans in the Chanhassen Villager. The county plans to partner with Jaguar Communications to install the fiber network. The fiber-optic ring will cost about $3 million, with the county paying less than half of construction costs. It’s a public-private partnership where Jaguar is building the fiber ring but the county will own it in 6 years. Jaguar will be able to provide fiber to local business.
Mark your calendars – the Broadband Task Force meets next Friday. The good news is that you can now attend remotely – so long as you can get yourself to a video conference location. If you can’t get there, don’t worry I’ll be taking notes and will hope to post them as soon as possible.
Note: I think they plan to take comments from the public at later meetings but that the agenda this time around is pretty tight so they are inviting people more to observe than actively participate.
Here are the agenda and the video locations:
Meeting Agenda Continue reading
Kandiyohi County was a recipient of Get Broadband funding through Blandin Foundation. The funds were intended to bolster broadband use in the community. As part of the program, small businesses were invited to classes on online marketing and web site development and were eligible for up to $500 in matching grant funds to create or improve their web sites.
Well Becky LaPlant at Blandin passed on some terrific news from Kandiyohi County – the program was so successful that the Willmar Economic Development Commission is offering a second ground of grants and more classes.
It’s great when a grant-funded program is so successful that it carries on even after the original funding is gone. It’s also an indication of the importance of an online presence. Steve Renquist, the EDC executive director was quoted, “The mission of the Economic Development Commission is to be a catalyst for economic growth of the greater Kandiyohi County area. This program supports that mission by offering businesses another tool to grow their business and expand into new markets with their goods and services, thereby increasing their business success.”
You don’t need to have broadband to have a web site. But it is a sign of the times when a web site is so important to a business. It wasn’t that long ago when I was kind of impressed when a small, local business had a web site – now I’m surprised (sometimes annoyed) when a shop doesn’t have some kind of presence.
I’m posting this on behalf of the Windom folks. They received funding from Blandin and here are some of the things they are seen and done with that funding…
Blog notes for Blandin Grant by Wayne Wormstadt, superintendent
Benefits of the grant are directly seen through the funding for the equipment to enhance our video classes at Windom.
Other benefits are the opportunities for the students with the video equipment to showcase school district and learn practical skills and influence career choices.
Helps with publicity and public access are future benefits for all involved.
The Homework helper has been a concern as the ongoing cost to support this project to connect students with teachers at home. The ongoing cost of equipment and pay for stipends makes this a very unlikely program in which to sustain after the grant is complete.
A change of course from Homework helper would be to take the funds and provide Smartboards and Webcam in our 6th grade classrooms along with the fiber connection. This would then allow our 6th graders to communicate with students in Mountain Lake and Jackson County School Districts. They currently communicate via paper and pencil through out the year and get together for projects and joint field trips. The collaboration would increase and also allow live interaction. This is important as we are part of an integration collaborative to have our students interactive with other minorities. As Mountain Lake has a significant Hmong and Hispanic population this allows our students to experience ethnic diversity. The live interaction will only increase and enhance the number of opportunities. This will be much more cost effective and sustainable beyond the grant as equipment costs will be minimized and also stipends will not be necessary within this project.
Concern on the video end is the lack of training opportunity and the time allowed to teach a complicated program. Student mastery is difficult with limited time. Resources for the school become tight with new Biennium budget projections coming out. How do we make this program more responsive to the needs of the students including mastery and maintain financial viability of the program in economic strain? An elective with 9 students using expensive equipment vs. a class of 20-25 students with little overhead costs could force us in the future to possible make this a reduction in 2-4 years depending on state funding.
The Blandin Foundation is supporting four standout broadband programs through the Light Speed program. The program’s purpose is to stimulate the deployment of bandwidth intensive applications that connect local institutions to area resident’s home. This post comes from a Light Speed community leader.
Sometimes when my mind drifts I think of Monticello and wonder how things are going there. You can follow the saga to some degree on the MN State Appellate court web site; the case number is A081928. It brings me back to my days working in law libraries – and reminds me that I didn’t love that work.
Here’s the latest news — both the FTTH (Fiber To the Home) Council and NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors) have been granted Amicus which means the court has allowed them to have an opportunity to present their viewpoint by submitting Briefs (limited to 20 pages each).
As the courts point out, these organizations are most closely aligned with the City of Monticello. I think it’s going to be super interesting to see what they say. It appears as if a rule of an Amicus (or maybe just this Amicus) is that the news has to be new. So I’m hoping for something really good – something other towns can use to make their plans.
TDS/Bridgwater has been granted an opportunity to respond to the FTTH and NATOA reports and has 10 days from the time those reports are filed to do so.
I’ll keep my eye out for more.
After a nudge from Bill Coleman, I ended up on Senator Klobuchar’s blog today. Her last 3 posts have related to broadband. They all related to a letter she sent to President-Elect Obama urging him to make broadband part of his economic stimulus package.
She says, “In many communities,” Klobuchar said, “the problem is that access is either too slow or too expensive, or both. As a result, businesses, hospitals, schools and even law enforcement are all at a disadvantage.” She adds that rural access and usage is significantly lower than the national average.
I am so pleased to see this extended light shining on broadband – especially when some of that light is coming from Minnesota. I think that Klobuchar is positioning us to be in a good place to take advantage of any broadband investment opportunities.
Klobuchar is not alone. Mike O’Connor recently posted a long list of folks who are lining up broadband project proposals for the new Administration on his Urban Broadband User in Minnesota blog.
I think broadband fever is building for a good reason – the research out there indicates that broadband is an important economic development infrastructure in the long and short term. Klobuchar cites a study by the Brookings Institution, which estimates that every one percentage point increase in broadband penetration per year would lead to the creation of nearly 300,000 new jobs. As I recall those jobs do not directly relate to the building of broadband but rather reflect jobs created by broadband use.
On the other hand the FTTH Council just unveiled a study that indicates that in the short terms tax incentives for direct fiber connections would create more than 200,000 jobs in each of the next 3 years and increase economic output by $100 billion. The same report also says that increased broadband penetration would indirectly generate another 360,000 new jobs.
The flip side of all these people clamoring for broadband is a recent report posted on the Benton Foundation site claiming that unless we do move ahead with some of these plans, broadband subscriber growth will decline by 12% in 2009.
Again it’s great to see – there aren’t enough hours in the day lately to keep up on broadband headlines!