I am hoping to post something more thoughtful tomorrow – but for now just letting folks know that the Minnesota Broadband Task Force recommendations are out!

Here’s the press release from Connect Minnesota…

Duluth, MN – The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband today released a report that highlights recommendations for implementing policies to expand broadband access across the state.

The primary goal of the Task Force on Broadband has been to develop an action plan for identifying and correcting disparities in access and adoption of broadband in all Minnesota communities – urban, rural, and suburban.

This is the fourth Task Force report released this year and represents a diverse balance of broadband interests, including consumers, businesses, residential users, educational and healthcare institutions, traditional telephone and cable companies, wireless providers, and local units of government.

The Task Force developed eight specific recommendations:

• Provide a tax credit or grant to incent broadband providers to build in unserved areas. Coordinate with Connect Minnesota to provide target areas that are underserved or unserved and provide priority for projects that will serve these target areas
• Extend current sales tax exemption on equipment purchased for use in a central office to include the purchase of fiber optics and broadband equipment
• Create a program or mechanism to coordinate rural broadband installation with state and federal programs assisting hospitals, schools, libraries, and public safety facilities with obtaining broadband
• Implement a formal “Dig Once” process to coordinate highway construction and broadband deployment projects
• Develop a Minnesota Fiber Collaboration Database
• Award scholarship dollars for broadband access for students, especially those who meet federal poverty guidelines
• Increase funding to public libraries and schools for computer stations and Internet access
• Establish an ongoing, post-Task Force resource within state government for high-speed broadband-focused efforts in the future

“The Task Force has spent 12 months examining a wide range of issues surrounding the access, adoption, and use of broadband in Minnesota. The report released today includes a range of policy options that provide policy makers a number of tools that would assist Minnesota in achieving our state broadband goals,” said Bill Hoffman, Connect Minnesota’s state program manager. “We look forward to working in support of advancing these recommendations.”

Connect Minnesota has been working since 2009 to ensure that Minnesota residents have access to the economic, educational, and quality of life benefits derived from increased broadband access, adoption, and use. The release of this report comes a month after the 2012 Broadband Conference co-hosted by Connect Minnesota and the Blandin Foundation in Duluth.

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About Connect Minnesota: As a public-private partnership, Connect Minnesota partners with technology-minded businesses, government entities and universities to accelerate technology in the Minnesota. The work of Connect Minnesota is made possible by support from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. For more information about what Connect Minnesota is doing to accelerate technology in Minnesota’s communities, visit http://www.connectmn.org.