Threatened with a bond-holder lawsuit, the city of Monticello has quietly made a deal to buy time in negotiations with the trustee for owners of $26 million in revenue bonds for the financially struggling FiberNet broadband network. …
A so-called “tolling agreement” approved by the City Council in March effectively extends the statute of limitations on legal claims bondholders can file against the city while ramping up the pressure to reach a resolution with the temporary agreement, set to expire June 1, 2013.
The article gives a little background…
The development follows the city’s decision to halt debt service payments in 2012, due to an annual operating loss of more than $400,000 and flat subscription rates. For the first few years of operation, FiberNet Monticello dipped primarily into about $4.5 million in profits from the municipal liquor store to make bond payments.
Going forward, however, the city wants to repay bondholders out of profits from the broadband triple-play network, as stipulated in the bond filing. While that arrangement would protect taxpayers from further subsidizing FiberNet, it’s not clear when bondholders would get a return on their investment with the system continuing to operate in the red.
Negotiations continue…
Meantime, behind-the-scenes negotiations continue between the city and representatives for Wells Fargo, the trustee. The confidential nature of the process leaves both bond holders and taxpayers largely out of the loop, including two recent closed-door City Council sessions on the threat of legal action against the city.
And service continues…
“I can assure you, the agreements and negotiations with Wells Fargo and the bondholders, have had NO impact on the operations of Fibernet, nor its customers, suppliers and other stakeholders,” Pultusker said. “I believe City Council’s release of over $200k of funds for Fibernet, is proof of this state of affairs.”
Short Description: State procurement and solicitation provisions modifications; North Star and online government information services private entity contract authorization; e-government advisory council establishment
A quick look on the progress of the bill…
03/08/2013 – Meeting scheduled for 10:30 AM in Room 123 Capitol Meeting Minutes
03/11/2013 – Meeting scheduled for 03:00 PM in Room 123 Capitol Meeting Minutes
03/11/2013 – Amended, recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Finance
03/27/2013 – Referral from Committee on Finance
Some of the information related to government contractors may be of interest – but it’s really the E-Government Advisory Council that interests me partially because improving online government information services to citizens and businesses has to take into consideration infrastructure and education available to citizens and businesses to receive information…
Sec. 13. [16E.071] E-GOVERNMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL.
9.26 Subdivision 1.E-Government Advisory Council established.The E-Government
9.27Advisory Council is established for the purpose of improving online government
9.28information services to citizens and businesses.
9.29 Subd. 2.Membership.The council shall consist of nine members as follows:
9.30 (1) the state chief information officer or the chief information officer’s designee;
9.31 (2) one member appointed by the speaker of the house;
9.32 (3) one member appointed by the senate Subcommittee on Committees of the Rules
9.33and Administration Committee; and
10.1 (4) six members appointed by the governor representing state executive branch
10.2agencies that are actively involved with private businesses, the private business
10.3community, or the public.
10.4 Subd. 3.Initial appointments and first meeting.Appointing authorities shall
10.5make the first appointments to the council by September 1, 2013. The governor shall
10.6designate three initial appointees to serve until the first Monday in January 2015. The term
10.7of the other three appointees of the governor shall be until the first Monday in January
10.82017. The chief information officer or the chief information officer’s designee shall
10.9convene the council’s first meeting by November 1, 2013, and shall act as chair until the
10.10council elects a chair at its first meeting.
10.11 Subd. 4.Terms; removal; vacancies; compensation.Membership terms, removal
10.12of member, and filling of vacancies are as provided in section 15.059, except that members
10.13shall not receive compensation or be reimbursed for expenses and except for terms of
10.14initial appointees as provided in subdivision 3.
10.15 Subd. 5.Chair.The council shall annually elect a chair from its members.
10.16 Subd. 6.Duties.The council shall recommend to the office the priority of North
10.17Star projects and online government information services to be developed and supported
10.18by convenience fee receipts. The council shall provide oversight on the convenience fee
10.19and its receipts in the North Star account. The council shall by majority quorum vote to
10.20recommend to approve or disapprove establishing the convenience fee on particular types
10.21of transactions, the fee amount, and any changes in the fee amount. If the convenience fee
10.22receipts are retained by or transferred to the private entity in lieu of deposit in the North
10.23Star account, the council may audit the private entity’s convenience fee receipts, expenses
10.24paid by the receipts, and associated financial statements.
10.25 Subd. 7.Staff.The office shall provide administrative support to the council.
10.26 Subd. 8.Sunset.The council shall expire January 1, 2016.
10.27 Subd. 9.Reports.By June 1, 2014, and every year thereafter, the council shall
10.28report to the office with its recommendations regarding establishing the convenience fee,
10.29the fee amount, and changes to the fee amount.
I wrote about HF985 a couple of weeks ago. It is on the agenda for Labor, Workforce and Regulated Industries Committee next Monday. The issue will heard for informational purposes only – but it could be very informative. I am hoping to attend the session and will take notes if I am able to attend.
Here’s more info…
MONDAY, April 15, 2013
9:30 AM Meeting Time Note: We have the room from 9:30 until noon. Room: 118 Capitol Chair: Rep. Sheldon Johnson
Agenda: HF985 (Johnson) Telecommunications enforcement authority clarified, new requirements for tariffs added, proprietary information protected, criteria for certificates of authority specified, alternative regulation plans terminated, definitions added, technical corrections made, obsolete provisions removed, and conforming changes made.
HF985 will be heard for informational purposes only.
Here’s an idea that makes a even the biggest broadband advocate in the world question the role of technology in the world of teens. According to the Washington Post…
The photo-sharing site Instagram has become wildly popular as a way to trade pictures of pets and friends. But a new trend on the site is making parents cringe: beauty pageants, in which thousands of young girls — many appearing no older than 12 or 13 — submit photographs of themselves for others to judge.
As the parent of three girls, I’m more than cringing! Especially since the article continues…
Although users can keep their Instagram accounts private or use pseudonyms, they can expose themselves to the public once they share their photos with others.
The girls in the beauty contests often did not take care to keep their identities and locations private. Some dressed in shirts embroidered with their schools’ names, others provided a link to their Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr accounts containing information about who they are and where they live.
I have full access to my grade-school kids’ Facebook accounts, so I see the pictures that their friends post online. Let’s just say that some seem to forget that old adage – don’t post anything online you wouldn’t want your grandma to see. I can only imagine what’s on the Instagram contests.
A similar tool is SnapChat; I wrote about SnapChat on a different blog. It’s an app that allows you to take a picture and send it to a friend with the idea that it shows up only for a few seconds. I found an interesting article from The DePaulia (school newspaper from DePaul) that talks about why the author uses SnapChat and why she admits it’s “Possibly our generation’s self-destructive addiction.” The author alludes to the very dark side of SnapChat…
Anna Brenoff of The Huffington Post wrote, “Certainly, it is the perfect tool for sexting. You get to show off your privates and there’s no evidence left for extortion later. It also means that your Mom, who is doing her best to police what you do online, doesn’t get to see what you send your friends.”
Although she also seems to dismiss the impact…
Internet privacy is a common topic, and I believe more teens know how to deal with it than in the past. Snapchat is for friends, not enemies.
Unfortunately she seems to have forgotten that for a teen, today’s friend may be tomorrow’s enemy. And that for teens alliance to your besties may be stronger the deep-roots of teen romance. (Hacks for saving the temporary pictures are not difficult.)
So what’s a concerned grown up to do?
The Washington Post article alludes to recent steps taken at the federal level to improve online security for kids – but they also admit it’s not enough…
In December, federal officials strengthened privacy rules for children. But analysts say regulators are not keeping abreast of new technological trends that present fresh questions about the safety of children on the Internet.
Threat of legal action has also been an effective tactic. I’ve heard of stories in Minnesota involving inappropriate SnapChat pictures have benched a few athletes – both the original SnapChat sender, the recipient quick enough to do a screen save and the recipients of those captured pictures. And the results were minimized considerably because the original SnapChatter was over 18. According to Mashable, students in New Jersey may be looking at more serious consequences.
Students at one New Jersey high school could face child pornography charges if found in possession of nude photos of classmates.
Explicit images sent via Snapchat prompted a police investigation after two freshman girls shared pictures on the controversial app and later found them posted on Instagram. The Ridgewood High School students sent photos to at least one male classmate who took screenshots in order to save them to a gallery.
In a letter to parents on Wednesday, Superintendent Daniel Fishbein said school officials were working in conjunction with local police to educate the community about “legal and psychosocial implications of this activity.” Fishbein shared the letter with students in sixth through twelfth grade to address the app’s popular use among middle schoolers.
I think the key in the following example is education. Education in the community, with parents and with students. I’m amazed at how many fellow parents are not aware of what their kids are doing online – and fearful of how much I don’t know. (At least I know that nothing makes technology less cool than your mom using it!) For parents and teachers, the roadblock is often keeping up on technology. Common Sense Media is a helpful source to try to keep up on what’s happening and how you can parent to support better use of technology. Earlier today I wrote about TechTECs, an organization that provides training to communities on topics such as online privacy.
Talking about it at the community level helps too. Bringing it up at broadband meetings and PTA events. Finding ways to get adults connected with what’s happening and helping both adults and teens get the tools they need to navigate through digital opportunities. I wouldn’t trade the safety of being offline for the new worlds my kids enjoy online – but I’m interested in mitigating risks.
Last week I had the pleasure of talking with Carissa Swenson, the Owner and Technology Specialist of TechTECS, a technology training, education, consulting and support company based out of North Dakota. She and I connected indirectly through the recent Minnesota Telecom Alliance Conference.
Carissa recently started a business to promote broadband adoption through digital literacy training. Here is a list of current training topics:
iPads for Directors
Digital Citizenship
Cloud Productivity Tools
I suspect that list is growing as new topics come up and as she posts more online. I know we discussed topics such as cyber bullying and child safety. (I mention those topics because of another post I’m working on.)
Carissa has worked with/through local providers. I think it’s a great way to get local investment and local involvement. Her approach is a train-the-trainer model. The goal being to increase local capacity for future training and support for ongoing digital literacy. I’ll borrow from her site to explain her process…
Broadband adoption is the focus of many rural telecommunication companies. Fiber-to-the-home initiatives are expensive so you want to make sure your rural customers are utilizing the high speed connections. The connections are there but why would they adopt broadband if they don’t really know how it can help them? Your future customers need someone to show them how a broadband connection can help to improve their lives. TechTECS has developed a program to help telecommunications companies educate their communities on the many benefits of broadband.
Before starting out on her own, Carissa worked for a state program that provided training to teachers with the expectation that they would become the local experts and trainers to support and increase local digital literacy. I loved the program idea. The idea was to bring in the teachers, pay they for their time (key point!), train them on the digital literacy issues and ask them to pay back with 12 hours of training back in their community.
The innovation comes from the opportunity to get funding for schools. So they got creative with a great way to expand opportunity beyond the school.
Sounded like some programs worth mentioning as Minnesota communities tackle broadband adoption and digital literacy.
The Northfield News recently ran a letter from Senator Amy Klobuchar that promotes keeping rural communities connected. She begins with picturing better broadband for rural communities…
Now, modern communications are bringing the world even closer.
With interactive video, a patient in Lac qui Parle County can be seen by a medical specialist in Minneapolis. With e-commerce, a small business in Fergus Falls can sell its product to anyone, anywhere. With online learning, a student in Two Harbors can tune in to a class at Stanford University.
Many companies see telecommuting as an important way to attract and retain the best, most productive workers, wherever they may be. I want to see these jobs in Lanesboro or Crookston, not China or India.
And she into more specific actions she’s taking to keep rural Minnesota connected. Starting with unlocking cell phones…
I believe consumers should be free to choose the phone and service that best fits their needs and budgets, and they deserve to keep and use the phones they’ve already bought.
That’s why I’ve introduced the Wireless Consumer Choice Act. This bipartisan legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take action so consumers will be able to unlock their phones when they switch carriers.
Including a request to require call completion in all areas…
Another problem has been around for a while, but just doesn’t seem to go away. Some long-distance providers refuse to connect calls that must go through a small rural carrier because they don’t want to pay the small charge that helps support rural phone service. …
I’ve urged the FCC to crack down on phone carriers that do this. Just a few weeks ago the FCC reached a settlement with one offender, Level 3 Communications. The company must now comply with strict call-completion standards and pay a one million dollar fine.
And finally reiterating a commitment to rural broadband…
I’ve always been a strong advocate for broadband and I’ve helped secure grants from the U.S. Agriculture and Commerce departments to expand broadband access in rural Minnesota. As technology advances, I will continue working to see that our rural communities have the tools they need to stay connected.
Yesterday I attended the House Taxes Committee Meeting. There were two topics that touched upon broadband and both were quick discussions. The super condensed notes on the sessions (vis a vis broadband):
HF1686 (Lenczewski) Public fund investments authorized, energy improvement repayment provided for, capital equipment financing requirements changed, and street reconstruction bond election requirements changed.
Quick Notes: Anything related to fiber was taken off the table once the legislators realized that this amendment might conflict with other policies. They may rework the language – but really the momentum seemed to be to remove it. Some discussion on whether or not the fiber was intended for government-only use – but again momentum was to drop it.
HF389 (Lesch) Collection of 911 fees from prepaid wireless telecommunications services and prepaid wireless E911 services provided for, broadband development grant program established, and money appropriated.
Quick Notes: Legislators were not in favor of the broadband development grant program – more (I believe) based on prepaid phones not being connected enough to the cause than the actual fund. Again They may rework but momentum was to leave off the fund and the higher level momentum was to avoid any controversy.
Below is video and more notes on the session. It was interesting to watch the Tax discussion when what I was listening for was broadband because tax involves some deep ideologies and so it’s clear to see that broadband is not the issue – money is. From that perspective I think the second video I have posted is interesting. Someone mentioned the need to represent the private sector – to which someone else asked who represented the public sector? Just an interesting glimpse.
Discussion on HF1686 (Lenczewski) Public fund investments authorized, energy improvement repayment provided for, capital equipment financing requirements changed, and street reconstruction bond election requirements changed.
Lynnette Slater Crandall – Dorsey Whitney Bond Lawyer – MIPF introduces the amendment.
Questions –
Fiber optic – does that have to do with municipal telecom systems?
Yes – but we just realized that it might be controversial so we ask that we remove that part.
We are looking at Section 4,7,8. We would want to delete the fiber portion from each section (or remove the first mention and subsequent referrals).
Mr. Carlson –
This only refers to intergovernmental fiber connections, not to serve residents or commercial entities. So I question the controversy. Some wealthy counties are already doing this. They are self-funding fiber networks for government use.
Brent Christensen (Minnesota Telecom Alliance) –
The MTA opposes the portiorn of the bill that relates to government funded and constructed networks. (Lines 3.3, 3.4, 5.3, 5,.4, 5.29 & 5.30.) It creates an uneven playing field. Also it permits local government to make investments that may lead to long-term debt for equipment and expenditure in the competitive telecom world for equipment that may become obsolete. Finally the amendment conflicts with Minnesota law that requires a referendum before a city can enter the telecom business.
Mike Martin (MN Cable Communications Association)–
We share MTA’s concern. It opens the door to government sponsored competition. The issue is the ability to lease capacity. There’s no definition of what local governments serve, which could leave to reselling. Dakota & Scott Counties are already doing this. There are transparency issues.
Are governments selling fiber now? Yes – for example Carver County got ARRA funding to build a network and used some bonding to match. Then they asked providers (competitors to existing providers) to come on board too. It means governments might be able to compete at below market rates.
We might not object in areas without service but that’s not necessarily the case here.
Question: This is the tip of the iceberg. Maybe we need to reconsider the referendum with increased transparency. Maybe people need to understand the risk. Monticello is a deal that hasn’t worked.
Dorsey Whitney: It’s not the intent to submit a controversial topic. We’ll try to make a change to accommodate these issues or delete fiber pieces.
General Questions:
Question: We don’t want anything that would be controversy for the private sector – but who is watching for the public sector?
We do work with League of Cities. Sometimes one governmental agency has a diverging view from other types of government entities.
Questions: If it’s all technical why do we need to do this?
It might help the bond owners sleep better at night. There is expanded authority that matters to our constituency.
HF389 (Lesch) Collection of 911 fees from prepaid wireless telecommunications services and prepaid wireless E911 services provided for, broadband development grant program established, and money appropriated.
We fund 911 services in MN by charging a fee on phone bill. More phones don’t have phone bills; they are pre-paid services. One of the leader in pre-paid phones was paying the bill but they quit. So we’d like to get pre-paid phones back
Representing AT&T
We think this is a bill whose time has come. We need to resolve this as the customers change and move away from landline. Prepaid is 23 percent of market .
Questions:
We’re laying this bill over. I have concerns. We talked about adding 4 cents for broadband grant fund. That seems beyond the scope. I hope if this comes back in Omnibus Tax Bill that this gets dropped.
There is one other amendment – delete section 16.
The date for report from Commission of Public Safety from 2014 to 2015. One concern – how do we come up with an adequate fee without a more precise estimate? The sooner we get a report the better we’ll be.
I agree but the department didn’t think they’d have adequate data in the time previously provided.
The need for data and the quicker the better would be helpful. We don’t want to collect more than is necessary.
Dep of Revenue
We want to express concerns. It puts us in the position of being a collector for another agency’s fees. We do collect some fees for other agencies. This puts us in the place of using sales tax system, which puts us in an awkward position given relationship with retail providers.
Question – but you’re already doing it. Department of Public Safety isn’t geared up to collect fees.
Question – Who else could do it?
We could do it, but it’s a bad precedent. We collect annual drycleaner bills. We do solid waste fees. But these are smaller projects. Not of this magnitude.
Jamie Pool – MN Grocers
We are concerned with local business collecting taxes for national providers. We support e-911. The bill goes into effect when minutes start to get used. The fees must be itemized. We’d need to set up systems and start collections. The language also says any fee changes will be announced on the website – requiring us to keep up and opening the door to inconsistency. We understand we don’t’ need to sell these cards – but we want to provide one-stop shopping.
Jackie Mines Emergency Services
We currently collect 911 fees. We distribute it. We provide backbone for infrastructure. We support this bill. It’s a mechanism for fair and equitable fees. With migration to prepaid it’s important to public safety to keep fees coming into the fund. We are happy to make reporting available when we can. We would be happy to send out letters as well as post fee changes on our website. We might need to get contact info on grocery shops.
In a first-of-its-kind program focusing solely on elementary student, Video Guidance will provide and deploy video technology to dozens of K-6 elementary schools in Southwest Minnesota. Thanks to a $498,328 Southwest/West Central Service Cooperative grant from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the deployment will become the first of its kind in Southwest Minnesota targeting elementary schools. The telecommunications program will connect K-6 students with guest speakers and distance learning classes, and on virtual field trips to Great Lakes Aquarium, Minnesota Zoo, International Wolf Center and Minnesota Historical Society, which are all partners of Video Guidance. …
The telecommunications grant allows for a high-quality, portable Interactive Television (ITV) system to be placed in 36 elementary schools within SW/WC Service Cooperative’s Wide Area Network (WAN), providing advanced educational opportunities for over 9,000 K-6 children.
“Each school will receive a completely mobile video conferencing system configured so that all an educator needs to do is roll the system into the classroom, plug in a power cord and the network cable, and the system will be ready to connect their classroom to an interactive world of possibilities,” said Mike Nelson, account manager for Video Guidance.
The systems can be hooked up to projectors, allowing a large, projected display for larger group assemblies or activities that require the use of a larger space such as a gym or auditorium. Each system will also include a document camera that will allow items such as pages of a book, microscopes, graphs and images to be used in conjunction with the video conferencing system.
This allows educators and students to broadcast a wide variety of information and video to other sites throughout the region and world.
I’m writing this while my most junior associate (age 8) is off school sick and sitting at the table with me. She’s writing a story – but she’s only writing a story because we’re at the coffee shop. If we were home where it’s quieter and she can be louder, she’d be creating a video – which is both easier and more fun for her. It’s exciting to think about the new ways to learn, new skills learned and the whole new experience of education in schools today and nice to know that the schools in SW Minnesota can be leading the pack. I look forward to hearing more about some of the things they do!
Thanks to Dave Minke for the heads up!! There’s a House Taxes Committee Meeting scheduled tomorrow (Tuesday April 10) at 12:30 that will include a couple of discussions that might be of interest to broadband folks.
HF389 (Lesch) Collection of 911 fees from prepaid wireless telecommunications services and prepaid wireless E911 services provided for, broadband development grant program established, and money appropriated.
HF1686 (Lenczewski) Public fund investments authorized, energy improvement repayment provided for, capital equipment financing requirements changed, and street reconstruction bond election requirements changed.
My plan is to attend the session to take notes and/or record discussion. Here’s more info on the agenda:
Meeting Time Note: We will recess at 2 p.m, then reconvene at 4 p.m. in room 10 and continue with the agenda until finished. Chair: Rep. Ann Lenczewski Bill(s) Added Room: 10 State Office Building Agenda:HF1724 (Davnie) A bill for an act relating to taxation; property; requiring a truth in taxation budget hearing; repealing requirement for notice of proposed property taxes
Informational Hearing on HF759 (Savick) Volunteer first responder credit provided.
HF1593 (Persell) Manufactured homes clarified as dealer inventory. HF1382 (Anzelc) Municipalities authorized to issue obligations without election for certain street improvements. HF1341 (Schoen) Medical device sales and use tax exemption expanded. HF1011 (Erhardt) Metropolitan area transit and paratransit capital expenditures additional financing provided for, and obligation issuance authorized. HF745 (Erhardt) Municipalities authorized to establish street improvement districts and apportion street improvement fees within districts, adoption of street improvement plan required, and collection of fees authorized. HF389 (Lesch) Collection of 911 fees from prepaid wireless telecommunications services and prepaid wireless E911 services provided for, broadband development grant program established, and money appropriated. HF1659 (Fritz) Nursing homes and boarding care homes most purchases exempted from sales and use tax. HF1686 (Lenczewski) Public fund investments authorized, energy improvement repayment provided for, capital equipment financing requirements changed, and street reconstruction bond election requirements changed. HF1660 (Davids) Sales tax exemption expanded for complimentary meals and beverages and certain capital equipment used by restaurants. HF1675 (Barrett) Exempt property held for economic development permitted holding period increased. HF1677 (Anderson) Purchases made by cities who did not receive a city aid payment in the previous calendar year exempted from sales and use tax.
I want to thank Janet Keough for the following update. I have worked with Jan on some of their efforts in Cloquet Valley and I am always so impressed with her and the whole team of dedicated community leaders – especially since community leader seems to be a labor of love or necessity, not a paid position…
Some progress is being made toward better broadband in a group of townships north of Duluth known as the Cloquet Valley Internet Initiative. In the last few months, this group of intrepid folks has completed two feasibility studies and established a new website (www.connectcloquetvalley.com), thanks to help from the Blandin Foundation, St. Louis County and Lake County, and AgStar Financial. These efforts are starting to realize results, with modest improvements in broadband speed and efforts underway to expand the scope of improvements.
The first study was conducted by U-reka Broadband Ventures, and it provided an expert overview of internet availability in the 9-township region. Through interviews with the regional internet providers, the U-reka team gave us an assessment of the real potential for expansion and upgrades. U-reka worked with the townships to test actual speeds, and they gave us recommendations for next steps. Their report can be found in the Cloquet Valley Internet Initiative website.
The second study was an engineering and business analysis by Compass Consultants, Inc., and was also a collaborative effort with the township team. The engineering analysis was based on property locations that had been assembled by the townships and on the results of the townships’ market questionnaire (Thanks to the Blandin Foundation for help with the questionnaire!). The study looked at FTTH and FTTN-DSL options, and included maps, technology needs, a set of best, moderate and worst case business plans, and scenarios for fulfilling capital needs. An executive summary can be found in the CVII website.
We are taking the advice of our consultants seriously, and in fact, incremental improvements have already been realized. Immediate improvements are coming to many citizens who are trying mobile wireless options or the upgraded satellite systems, Exede and Gen4. Some townships are having discussions with the electric cooperative, Cooperative Light and Power, about deploying fixed wireless along with advanced electric metering systems. We are continuing to pursue fiber-based options, but our feasibility studies have shown us the reality of cost of this technology. We are seeking partners with interests in rural, underserved markets such as ours. And we are continuing to learn about broadband opportunities and issues.
We have learned a great deal about the challenges to bringing high speed broadband to rural areas. The cost of fiber projects can be daunting ($4000-10,000 per premise!). Partnerships are critical. And there are many dimensions to meeting these challenges in rural areas, including public policy, incentives for providers, shifting market interest, evolution in electric utilities, rapid technology development and progress in neighboring areas; all these are in play to potentially align with local strategies!
We are using our new website to educate our citizens about what broadband internet can do, and helping them connect with the state and national dialogue on broadband. The website was made possible through the Blandin Community Resources Program who helped us get the website started and designed. We hope the website can show regional leaders and regional broadband providers that there is a good market in our rural area!
There are similarities in the RADC report and others we have seen – specifically residents in town have better access to broadband than residents in small communities or living on the outskirts of communities…
While residents in Redwood Falls have access to multiple broadband providers, the residents in the smaller communities and rural areas have less access to broadband services.
The report also shows a snapshot of services available. As the MN PUC map below indicates, there are five telephone companies in the are providing services. Mediacom, MVTV Wireless, RRCNet (fixed wireless), HughesNet (satellite), Starband (satellite) and Exede Broadband (satellite) also serve portions of Redwood County. There are also a number of cellular carriers who provide data plans in the area (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, AT&T and Straight Talk).
Currently 65 percent of the county subscribes to broadband, which is lower than the national average of 70 percent. Most who don’t find they don’t have an interest, which is what statewide and national surveys have also found.
The report goes on to provide engineering and business plan scenarios for expanding broadband in the area. Here are their final conclusions…
Conclusion
It has been the focus of this study for Redwood County is to pursue public/private partnerships, likely with the incumbent service providers. In any scenario, it is likely that the residents of Redwood County will need to contribute, in the form of taxes, in order to make development of a county-wide broadband network attractive to potential partners. Success in grant funding would also be a factor on whether the ultimate FTTH system or an FTTN/DSL system can be built.
Next Steps
1) A first step should include contacting RUS to discuss the project and available RUS loans and grants.
2) After that, meetings should be scheduled with each potential service provider partner to share the report and discuss cooperative efforts toward entering into a long term agreement.
3) Engaging the League of Minnesota Cities or other organizations that may be useful in determining the best path to choose in organizing Redwood County legally to enter into agreements with RUS and partners.
4) Engaging, local, state, and national politicians and their staff’s may be helpful in gaining support for any non-traditional track to implementing broadband in Redwood County.
Twitter has been served a DMCA copyright complaint for content that was published using the Vine video platform it acquired and launched earlier this year. …
In this particular case, the takedown request came from NPG Records, the 20-year old record label owned by Prince. ‘NPG’ is short for New Power Generation, the name of the artist’s former backing band.
A representative of NPG Records wrote to Twitter to say eight video clips hosted on Vine contained “unauthorized recordings” and “unauthorized synchronizations” and asked the company to remove them immediately.
The request was sent on March 22, 2013.
The links to the Vine clips were included in the letter and no longer lead to playable videos, so it’s safe to assume Twitter followed up on the NPG representative’s request rather swiftly.
Vine is a quick video sharing platform. As a content producer, you film, upload and share your videos. As a consumer you follow or view videos from friends and others. Kind of a streamlined YouTube platform.
It’s an interesting conundrum. Producing and posting content is so easy. But is it fair if what you’re producing is someone else’s work? Some musicians are Very OK, in fact encouraging of audience members posting content; others, such as Prince, are not. Chilling Effects is a project/website that, with the help of everyone, tracks copyright issues…
Chilling Effects aims to help you understand the protections that the First Amendment and intellectual property laws give to your online activities. We are excited about the new opportunities the Internet offers individuals to express their views, parody politicians, celebrate their favorite movie stars, or criticize businesses. But we’ve noticed that not everyone feels the same way. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some individuals and corporations are using intellectual property and other laws to silence other online users. Chilling Effects encourages respect for intellectual property law, while frowning on its misuse to “chill” legitimate activity.
I’ve written about copyright before, but I always like to take the time to hammer on home again the importance of copyright and education about copyright. The lines between content producers, creators and consumers blur the optic gets trickier! Having someone high profile such as Prince take umbrage with copyright infringement may help smooth the path for emerging artists who want to own their artistic endeavors.
Minnesota Broadband Adoption up Six Percent; FTTH not as good
Connect Minnesota surveys show that broadband adoption in Minnesota is increasing; 78 percent of households subscribe to broadband service, up from 72 percent in 2011. Six percent may not sound like a lot, but in a steady market and a demographic that many have suggested will be difficult to coerce into adopting, it’s a welcome trend.http://wp.me/p3if7-2aW In terms of high end access, research from Broadband Communities Magazine indicates that 2-3 percent of Minnesota has access to fiber. That compares with 10 percent in South Dakota, 22 percent in North Dakota and a national average of 8 percent. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ax
Wired vs Wireless
A recent survey by Connect Minnesota indicates that 51 percent of adults in Minnesota use the Internet on their cell phones or subscribe to mobile wireless service for a laptop or tablet computer; that percentage is up from 39 percent last year. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bJ A recent Pew Internet and American Life report promotes the growing use of smartphones by teens; 78 percent of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half of those own smartphones. That translates into 37 percent of all teens who have smartphones, up from just 23 percent in 2011. http://wp.me/p3if7-2aZ A recent survey in Telecompetitor indicates that broadband users in the UK would give up mobility and video before losing their wired connection. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bU Other recent examples indicate that mobile works well for consumer activity, but perhaps less well for more engaged activities.http://wp.me/p3if7-2aQ
Telecommuting is Strong in Minnesota
Last month, telecommuting took a hit when both Best Buy and Yahoo decided to rein in telecommuting in their own businesses. A host of Minnesota locals have come to defend telecommuting, including Minnesota Telecom Alliance http://wp.me/p3if7-2bG, the Minneapolis Star Tribune http://wp.me/p3if7-2b5 and Fergus Falls Journal.http://wp.me/p3if7-2be
Libraries and Broadband
On March 21st, Connect2Compete launched EveryoneOn, a 3-year national public service campaign to promote digital literacy. The key message of the campaign is to encourage limited or non-Internet users to learn how to do “one thing better online”. Libraries have jumped on the opportunity making programs and materials available to everyone.http://wp.me/p3if7-2bz Tangentially, a library in Providence has begun to offer mobile hotspots for check-out, so patrons can try broadband at home. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bq
Broadband Means Better Economy in Rural Areas
The National Agricultural & Rural Development Policy Center released a report that indicates that low levels of adoption, providers and broadband availability were associated with lower median household income, higher levels of poverty and decreased numbers of firms and total employment. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bj
Update on Policy Broadband-Related Bills
There have been some interesting broadband discussions at the state and national levels. The TISP Forum early in the month included a lively discussion on policy.http://wp.me/p3if7-2av On a national level, the USDA is looking at changing the definition of rural, which may have an impact on future broadband funding and incentives.http://wp.me/p3if7-2aE Several specific bills have come up as well:
Minnesota Telecommunications Regulations Bills (HF 985/SF 584) – The role of the state PUC is expected to diminish considerably by 2019 due to decisions made by the FCC; this bill sets out to transition to that change. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bQ The Minnesota Telecom Alliance recently hosted a conversation with FCC Commissioner Clyburn, which provided some insights into the FCC’s plans. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bO
Minnesota Office of Broadband Development Bills (HF1255 / SF1128) – The bill would establish and fund an Office of Broadband Development to help coordinate broadband efforts in the state and create tools to help providers anticipate opportunities through practices such as Dig Once. http://wp.me/p3if7-2b8
Minnesota E911 fee and the Telecommunication Access Minnesota fee (HF389/SF367) – The bill would extend the E911 fee and the Telecommunication Access Minnesota fee to prepaid wireless customers to establish a broadband development grant program.http://wp.me/p3if7-2aq
The US Senate approved a bipartisan amendment introduced by Senator Al Franken to promote investment in broadband infrastructure for rural areas. The amendment does not indicate action, but an interest in broadband. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bC
In March, Senator Amy Klobuchar said she would introduce a bill that would allow for cell phone unlocking. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ah
Local Broadband News
Eagan
Following Comcast’s recent rate hikes, the mayor of Eagan, MN, writes lawmakers and regulators asking for the right to rein in what the city’s residents pay for cable.http://wp.me/p3if7-2aj
Ely
Ely bans social media. Timing is key on this story posted on April 1. http://wp.me/p3if7-2c1
Itasca County
Through MIRC funding, KOOTASCA Community Action brought computers and broadband connectivity to local Native American student families. They partnered with PCs for People and Paul Bunyan, the local broadband provider to make it happen. The free trial ended in January yet only 4 households have dropped their Internet service from Paul Bunyan Communications, which means an 84 percent retention rate. http://wp.me/p3if7-2b2
Kanabec
The Kanebec Times picks up the story on the five county (Pine, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Carlton and Aitkin) initiative to promote and expand broadband in the area. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bF
A frustrated customer in the same area expresses frustration with incumbent providers who aren’t interested in expanding or upgrading their networks: http://wp.me/p3if7-2bt
Lac qui Parle County
LqP’s Computer Commuter is featured on KARE 11 as Minnesota’s only portal to the information highway that drives into town on one. http://wp.me/p3if7-2aH
Lake County The Republican leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee request information regarding Lake County’s (ARRA) BIP program funding. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bb
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is making a concerted effort to promote digital literacy over the next year. Their efforts started with a series of events on March 21. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bw
Minneapolis Good Samaritan finds smartphone is a key to accessing information and getting things done. http://wp.me/p3if7-2c7
Google is reportedly testing a one-day product delivery service; Target is one of the merchants involved. http://wp.me/p3if7-2aK
Minnesota
Gov Tech announces their 2013 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers list. Two Minnesotans on the list: Carolyn Parnell and Massoud Amin. http://wp.me/p3if7-2aN
Northern Minnesota Mediacom Communications doubles the speeds of its broadband Internet service throughout its Northern Minnesota territory, including some communities in Carlton, Itasca, Lake, Pine and St Louis Counties. http://wp.me/p3if7-2bn
Looking for more events? Check out TechDotMN’s calendar http://tech.mn/events/. Many events are based in the Twin Cities but it is a comprehensive list. (If you have an upcoming event, consider submitting it.)
Stirring the Pot
A regional broadband event, a draft feasibility report and an email from a newly satisfied broadband consumer have me thinking about the path to achieving the Minnesota broadband goal.
Congratulations to the organizers of the East Central Broadband Summit. With 80 attendees and the active participation of many broadband providers, it was an exciting day of active conversation. The organizers are now following up on at least a couple of the priorities identified at the event and it will be interesting to see if the conversations begun at the Summit can lead to broadband solutions – wired, wireless or hybrid – in these five underserved communities.
Redwood County is now reviewing the feasibility study partially funded through the Blandin Foundation Robust Broadband Networks Feasibility Fund program. The study examines a couple of options for bringing Redwood County up to the state broadband standard. The study is unique in its significant assumption about the role of the area incumbent providers. Again, it will be interesting to see if study and discussion can lead to a broadband solution.
The email that I received was from a health professional who had contacted me more than a year ago about her frustration with a lack of broadband at her home in northeastern Minnesota. Thanks to the entrepreneurial folks at Laurentian Wireless, her situation has greatly improved.
MinnPost recently published an article by Ed Kohler that demonstrates the limitations of a broadbandless life.
I recently ran into a woman from Somalia at Marshall & Lowry across the street from Tony Jaros’. She was looking or Snelling Ave. As in, she took the wrong bus from Riverside and found herself in NE Minneapolis instead of the Midway area of St Paul. She had a dumb phone, and was attempting to find an organization that provides free/cheap computers to people in need. I pulled out my Android phone and showed her a map of where she was vs. where she meant to be, then showed her the bus options to get there. Then offered to call her an Uber.
I’ve done exactly what she did (taken the wrong bus). But, I have the resources in my pocket to recover from my mistakes far easier than she does (and, to realize things are off quicker since I can see myself move on a map in real time when I’m on a bus). She’s not stupid (we all make mistakes like that), but her access to information is far different than mine.
While Ed’s example is taken from an urban setting, you can easily extrapolate to see the impact in rural areas too. Although in metro areas I think the primary bottleneck tends to be expense – expense of owning a device and expense of connectivity. In rural areas expense is a bottleneck – but access is a bottleneck too. Ironically, I type this between as we drive Troy and Bowling Green Missouri. We are officially off the grid. I can’t get directions from my Smartphone (which is going to hurt us) and I can’t access TripAdvisor from the laptop (which means we will not be stopping anywhere near here for lunch).
Mobilewireless is not – so I can’t check TripAdvisor for restaurant views in Bowling Green.
In an attempt to get people outside “where only the birds tweet,” the town of Ely, Minn., has announced a ban on social media, going into effect on April 1, 2013.
“The only thing online here is a fish. And why would anyone need Pinterest?” Ross Petersen, Mayor of Ely, said in a statement. “We have a big bulletin board over at the grocery store for that sort of thing. Or the Twitter? We have at least 140 characters right here, living in Ely. And don’t even get me started on the kids listening to their Zunes.”
I love Ely – and I especially love them around April 1st!
I have a client who rents cabins and houseboat in Ely so I always keep an eye on what they are doing. I love their strategy to make a media splash every year for April Fool’s. It’s fantastic way to get attention for all of the local businesses – a perfect lead by example way to show other communities how to do it. By working together each business works to raise awareness of the area – so rather than competing with your neighbor for a smaller pool of visitors, the community works together to draw from a larger pool. So yes, Duluth and Brainerd – Ely is competing with you! Although really, it’s great publicity for the whole state. Maybe it’s better for me to say – watch our WI, ND, SD, IA – we’ve got a concerted media effort and it starts with Ely!
And while it’s probably a good idea to go on vacation and get offline for a bit – I must admit that I am typing this on my way home from New Orleans because the flip side of going offline for vacation is staying online to extend a vacation. We woke up in Memphis, visited Graceland and now I’ve got 12 hours to work on the road. The kids don’t even mind much as they are either asleep, watching a movie or picking out our next pit stop on TripAdvisor!
