Thanks to Carol Walsh at DEED for the heads up on the following…

Saint Paul Receives $245,000 Grant from Knight Foundation for Community Fiber Network

SAINT PAUL – A potential City and Ramsey County owned and operated fiber network for broadband access took a step forward today as the Saint Paul Department of Technology and Communications received a $245,000 grant from the Knight Foundation.

The grant will provide Saint Paul and the County with the means for the planning and project management capacity necessary for a public/private community network in partnership with Minnesota Fiber Exchange.

The proposed system, currently being called the Community Fiber Network, would provide one conduit to serve the needs of institutional and government organizations in Ramsey County and Saint Paul as well as other public agencies. A second conduit would also be used to service business and community needs, providing an open access network.

Expanding broadband connectivity through the Community Fiber Network would be an important step in creating the strong and sustainable foundation needed to stimulate economic growth, enhance workforce skills, improve educational outcomes and build a competitive region for the 21st Century.

In addition, the Community Fiber Network has the potential to facilitate digital literacy education initiatives and create growth in all Saint Paul neighborhoods by providing small businesses with cost effective access to broadband internet.

Financing and joint ownership would be a joint venture between the City of Saint Paul, Ramsey County and Minnesota Fiber Exchange.