Recap of September News from the Blandin on Broadband Blog

Minnesota Broadband Surveys
Connect Minnesota released two reports in September. The first looks at business use of mobile Internet. According to the report, 34 percent of businesses in Minnesota use mobile Internet service. Rural businesses tend to use more mobile apps than metro counterparts. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nY The second report looks at residential use of mobile Internet. According to the report 51 percent of Minnesota adults use mobile Internet service. Some use mobile Internet as an additive to home access; some have mobile access only. Median income ($43,700) of mobile-only access is less than half of income of mobile and home broadband subscribers ($90,400). Twice as many rural areas have mobile only than have both mobile and home access. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nW

Broadband Unserved Maps
The locations of the up to 600,000 homes and businesses nationwide targeted to get broadband access for the first time through the FCC’s Connect America Fund are now available on an interactive map. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mP

Minnesota Broadband Task Force
In September the Minnesota Broadband Task Force met in Alexandria. They heard all about technology and libraries. Minnesota libraries provide a wide range of technology services to the public including access to computers and broadband, training and a website that helps students do homework, entrepreneurs do research and anyone join a conversation or get information online. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mM

Far End of the Digital Divide
PCs for People refurbishes donated computers and distributes them to new users. They also survey computer recipients to learn about how those computers get used; 83 percent of new computer users have Internet access at home and 84 percent of those users have broadband. http://wp.me/p3if7-2m9 A recent Pew Internet survey indicates that the dialup user rate is only three percent. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mu A recent OECD report offers incentive to get more people choosing broadband; the report indicates that households that increase their broadband speeds from 4 to 8 Mbps see an increase in household income of $120 per month. http://wp.me/p3if7-2o5

Funding for Broadband
Recently the Minnesota Telecom Alliance (MTA) surveyed members on capital investments made over the last three years. There was a significant dip in 2012. MTA sees a correlation between the FCC USF/ICC Transformation Order and decrease in investment. The uncertainty of the order has created difficulties; the end of the ARRA-funded projects may also have an impact. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ob

Some of the news and opportunities below will spur investment from providers and others:

• Interstate Telecommunications Company received a loan from the USDA Rural Utilities Service to upgrade its plant and complete an FTTP network to provide enhanced broadband for customers in Minnesota and South Dakota. http://wp.me/p3if7-2oh
• Cisco Global Impact Cash Grants funds technology programs that serve underserved populations. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ol
• Laura Jane Musser Fund funds programs that strengthen individual rural towns in Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wyoming. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ol

The Minnesota Department of Education, State Library Services funds library initiatives that improve service or build infrastructure. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ox

Local Broadband News

Annandale
Annandale issued a request for proposals for a broadband feasibility study. http://wp.me/p3if7-2oL

Anoka County
Anoka County completes its ARRA-funded network; 145 city, county, school and other public buildings are now connected with fiber. http://wp.me/p3if7-2oD

Carver County
Carver County celebrated the completion of their ARRA-funded network, a 89-mile base ring with 33 miles of lateral lines. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nb

Dakota County
Dakota County has been extending its network to Hastings, Inver Grove Heights, Sibley County and Renville County. http://wp.me/p3if7-2oB

Deer River
Matt Grose, Superintendent at Deer River Public Schools, speaks to Connect Minnesota about broadband and education. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nT

Fergus Falls
Park Region Telephone & Otter Tail Telcom is one of seven communities nationwide to be recognized as a Smart Rural Community by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nQ

Kanabec County
Kanabec County (a Blandin Broadband Community) reports in on progress with broadband adoption projects such as teleconferencing, a new community portal and community training. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nu

Lake County
Lake County (a Blandin Broadband Community) reports in on progress with broadband adoption projects such as computer distribution project and YouTube project to promote technology. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nz

Lake County Connections celebrates an open house as they look forward to completion of their ARRA-funded network. http://wp.me/s3if7-9057

Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods (a Blandin Broadband Community) reports in on progress with broadband adoption projects such as public Wi-Fi spots and iPads in the hospital. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nD

Mille Lacs County
Mille Lacs County (a Blandin Broadband Community) reports in on progress with broadband adoption projects such as public Wi-Fi spots and e-commerce training. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nB

Minneapolis
Minneapolis co-working space CoCo is one of seven locations selected to participate in Google Inc.’s new ­tech hub program. http://wp.me/p3if7-2oz

A school is opening in Minneapolis that will train techies how to develop web and mobile applications. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mx

Northern Minnesota
Enventis completes its ARRA-funded Greater Minnesota Broadband Collaborative Project, connecting to health care facilities, schools, libraries, higher education institutions and public offices high speed broadband. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nM

Robbinsdale
Travail Kitchen successfully uses Kickstarter, an online fundraising tool, to raise capital for a new building. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mX

Sebeka
West Central Telephone is one of seven communities nationwide to be recognized as a Smart Rural Community by NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association. (Menahga, Verndale, Aldrich, Nimrod and Wolf Lake are also in the celebrated service area.) http://wp.me/p3if7-2oH

Trout Lake Township
Trout Lake Township learns about various levels and types of broadband connections. (Includes presentation.) http://wp.me/p3if7-2ne

Twin Cities
Sprint customers experience dropped calls as Sprint upgrades their network in the Twin Cities. http://wp.me/p3if7-2n3

Minnesota musicians benefit from online tools such as Kickstarter, online production tools and social media for promotion. http://wp.me/p3if7-2mC

Windom
Community Broadband Networks’ Chris Mitchell speaks with Dan Olsen General Manger at WindomNet, a community-owned broadband network and the history of the business. http://wp.me/p3if7-2nZ

Events

OCTOBER 1
Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Windom, MN) http://wp.me/p3if7-2ou

OCTOBER 10
Community Tech Networking Events (free webinar) http://wp.me/p3if7-2o9

OCTOBER 10
MTA Fall Conference https://m360.mnta.org/event.aspx?eventID=81657&instance=0

OCTOBER 10
TISP Forum: New Top Level Domains (Minneapolis) http://wp.me/p3if7-2or

OCTOBER 2
MACTA Annual Conference http://www.mactamn.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=7

NOVEMBER 5-7
Economic Development and Broadband Conference (Chicago) http://wp.me/p3if7-2kX

NOVEMBER 12
Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Twin Cities, MN) http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp

DECEMBER 3
Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Twin Cities, MN) http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp

DECEMBER 4

Connect Minnesota Summit: The State of Broadband (Roseville, MN)

http://www.connectmn.org/broadband-summit

DECEMBER 10-12
Minnesota Government IT Symposium http://mngts.org/itsym/

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

Just when you think that you know it all, you get new information that messes with your confident line of thinking.  This morning, I saw a summary of a study by the Leichtman Research Group that claims that almost 80% of American households have a broadband connection at home and that two-thirds of those folks also have a smartphone with data plan.  So I am thinking “What’s with all this talk about the need for public entities and non-profits to promote broadband adoption?”  Later in the day, I answer a phone call from someone who sounds a bit like my 93 year old mom, which brings me back to my teen years – “Where are you?” she asks, probably hoping that I am not in India!

I have no idea how Janice got my phone number, but she lives in rural Minnesota.  She had just purchased a computer, but had no idea how to set it up.  Needing some good karma, I took her name and phone number, fired up Google and searched for her community’s library.  I talked with a very nice librarian (is there any other kind?) and she gave me the name and phone number of a kindly computer guy in town.  I called him, made the referral and he promised to call her. I am not sure if this would be free or fee for service, but hopefully Janice’s problem is solved!

The take rate study, Janice’s call and a meeting I attended yesterday puts several thoughts into my head.

First, we need to abandon the idea that we need broadband adoption activities to help telecom providers make their business case to invest in delivering broadband services. With the high costs of serving the remaining unserved areas with fiber to the home or fiber to the node DSL, it is impossible to make a business case for investment in these areas with an 80% or even a 100% adoption rate without some types of subsidy such as those that have enabled our rural coops to build fiber their networks or by using the long term finance capacity of government agencies.

Second, we need to continue to build support services for people like Janice who are new computer and Internet users.  The public purpose in providing this assistance is clear – a well-connected citizenry is well-positioned to use online government, business and health services as well as to improve their connection to friends and family.

Finally, a concept advanced some time ago by Danna MacKenzie, Cook County IT visionary at a Blandin event, was proved true to me again yesterday – everyone has their own level of digital illiteracy.  Yesterday, I was reminded of my technical shortcomings when I was at a meeting discussing hackathons and hackfests.  My conception of ‘coding’ is about as advanced as Janice’s computer set-up skills.  We all have lots of learning to do to keep up with our amazing world.  I give Janice a lot of credit for moving forward with her new computer and I am learning about hackathons.  As a side note, I am also enrolled in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from Northwestern University School of Journalism looking at Google – with 41,000 other students from 150 countries!!