According to the Pioneer Press…
To win approval for Century-Link’s $10.5 billion takeover of Qwest Communications International, the two companies have agreed with state regulators to spend $50 million over five years to expand broadband infrastructure in Minnesota.
Some folks looked at the bright side…
“I would love to see more, but I’ll take it. It’s a good down payment,” said Rick King, chairman of the governor’s Ultra Broadband Task Force, which set a goal for all Minnesotans to have access to high-speed Internet connections by 2015.
While others wondered if this was enough…
“If they’re not spending at least $10 million a year on broadband, it’s no wonder they’re getting their clocks cleaned” by cable competitors, said Christopher Mitchell of the Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit organization that favors local government ownership of broadband.
My question would be “What are the outcomes of a $50 million investment. That is less than the Lake County ARRA broadband project. The state might consider requiring the merged companies to meet the 2015 10 Mb ubiquitous coverage goal of the state broadband task force. This will be the last chance to influence the scale of investment in MN.
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