There is so much going on these days in the Minnesota legislature, the ARRA grants, the National Broadband Plan, Google network… It can seem overwhelming but it’s really a great opportunity and excuse to partner because while the options are more numerous than I ever remember, the actual resources available are still fewer than we need to get in line with the Federal or State broadband goals. Minnesota Public Radio’s piece on the recent story on the Northeast Service Cooperative and their recent announcement on their ARRA broadband stimulus award is one example. They received $43 million in federal funding, which is great – but the article points out…

“This particular project does not provide any funding for last-mile service support,” [director of information technology for Northeast Service Cooperative Lyle] MacVey said. “However, we have a lot of inquiries coming in from both incumbents and prospective carriers that we see are going to serve those areas.”

I’ve seen a couple of good stories lately on the need for broadband – especially in Minnesota. I think those of us how are steeped in technology can forget about the other end of the digital divide, which is why I particularly enjoyed Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force member Jack Geller’s article on Joining the Underserved, a move he made when recently moving to a new location just outside Crookston. The Center for Rural Policy and Development wrote an article about broadband as a means for encouraging younger folks to stay in rural communities. As they point out, good jobs are now only a broadband link away, which is opening doors that weren’t there years ago. So the need for deployment and adoption is there.

Also I see the opportunities for funding and change are raising awareness. The Google network opportunity is perhaps just the most glaring example. Google has shined an amazing light on broadband. Duluth/Twin Ports is one of the top publicity getters in that game. They even got a mention (and video link) in Vanity Fair! People are talking – and it’s people that don’t usually care about broadband (or at least don’t know that they care.) That conversation is helping build interest, adoption and the door to partnerships. Blandin just wrote a letter of support for the Twin Ports project – expressing an interest in partnering with the community regardless of what happens with Google funding or the Blandin NTIA grant.

I won’t go so far as to say that partnership is more valuable than either award – but it’s made the process of applying for funds more valuable regardless of the outcome.