Rick King, CTO at Thomson Reuters and former Chair of the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force, recently had an editorial published in the Grand Forks Herald offering advice for moving Minnesota forward as he points out…

No matter the outcome of the impending recount, Minnesota’s next governor and the newly-elected Legislature will be tasked with spurring our state’s economy within this global context.

Here offers a few suggestions:

• Invest in R&D.
• Build our idea infrastructure.
• Expand transportation to move our greatest product: Our people.

All good suggestions, I thought I’d pull his comment on “idea infrastructure” since broadband is really the key there…

The broadband internet is today’s interstate highway system — a complex network designed to move goods to markets far and wide. It has the potential to connect the state’s businesses, innovations and ideas to markets around the world.

And broadband will foster even greater job growth potential. A recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that demand for jobs dependent on broadband access are projected to grow by 25 percent from 2008 to 2018.

With such potential, Minnesota must dedicate itself to becoming a national and global leader in broadband speeds and connectivity. We can’t afford not to.