The 2015 Broadband Conference was a big success. You can access notes (including video and PowerPoints when available) on the various sessions:

• Final Reflections http://wp.me/p3if7-3jm
• Intro to Community Broadband Notes http://wp.me/p3if7-3hX
• Digital Inclusion Strategies: 2015 http://wp.me/p3if7-3i0
• Bernadine Joselyn Opens the Broadband Conference http://wp.me/p3if7-3iK
• Digital Storytelling Show and Tell http://wp.me/p3if7-3i5
• Keynote – Large as Life: How Fiber Will Turn Our World Upside Down http://wp.me/p3if7-3i7
• Best of the Blandin Broadband Communities: Local Leadership Matters http://wp.me/p3if7-3ib
• Making a Minnesota Broadband Vision – collectively building a voice http://wp.me/p3if7-3iT
• Welcome from Blandin President Dr. Kathleen Annette http://wp.me/p3if7-3ih
• The State of Broadband in Minnesota http://wp.me/p3if7-3if
• Minnesota Awards $11 Million for Broadband Projects: Official Announcement http://wp.me/p3if7-3j2
• Remarks by Congressman Rick Nolan http://wp.me/p3if7-3ik
• Forming Successful Broadband Partnerships: 2015 http://wp.me/p3if7-3io
• Youth and Community Engagement – Use of Video and Storytelling http://wp.me/p3if7-3ir
• Fueling Innovation via Gigabit Broadband http://wp.me/p3if7-3im
• Fueling Innovation via Creative Spaces http://wp.me/p3if7-3im
• Co-ops and Broadband Deployment http://wp.me/p3if7-3iv
• Moving Your Community Up the Tech Adoption Ladder http://wp.me/p3if7-3ix
• Unveiling the Minnesota Broadband Vision http://wp.me/p3if7-3je
• Legislative Policy Panel: Responding to the Vision http://wp.me/p3if7-3iz
• Remarks by Senator Al Franken http://wp.me/p3if7-3iB

Broadband Task Force Drafts Annual Report

The Broadband Task Force met to comb through a draft of their annual broadband report. Much of the report is completed; they still need to finalize discussion on speed goals or recommendations. http://wp.me/p3if7-3k4

Blandin Foundation Featured in Twin Cities Business Magazine

TC Business Magazine looks at the good works of the Blandin Foundation, including the impact Blandin has had on broadband expansion in Minnesota. http://wp.me/p3if7-3kk

Two Minnesota Providers Get Rural Broadband Experiment Money

The FCC awards $16 million to rural providers. Two Minnesota providers receive funding: Federated and Paul Bunyan. http://wp.me/p3if7-3hU

Local Broadband News

Afton
Afton is not happy that they did not receive state funding for their community broadband efforts. http://wp.me/p3if7-3km

Bemidji
Paul Bunyan Communications’ GigaZone expands to over 500 more locations in Bemidji http://wp.me/p3if7-3hy

Chisago County
Chisago County releases broadband video that features local businesses http://wp.me/p3if7-3hl

Gentilly
Gentilly area (in Crookston County) to get Border to Border broadband funding http://wp.me/p3if7-3kr

Itasca County
Paul Bunyan gets Minnesota Border to Border Broadband Grant for portions of Central Itasca County http://wp.me/p3if7-3ju

Kandiyohi
Kandiyohi County moving to better broadband with funding for feasibility study http://wp.me/p3if7-3hO

Minneapolis
US Internet announces Minneapolis fiber construction plans for 2016 http://wp.me/p3if7-3jC

Sherburne County
Sherburne County releases a video on need for broadband in the community. http://wp.me/p3if7-3hn

Swift County
Swift County awarded $4.95 million state broadband grant. http://wp.me/p3if7-3k0

Southwestern Minnesota
MVTV Wireless was awarded $808,080 to upgrade backhaul capacity between site locations within 20 southwestern Minnesota counties, including Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Redwood, Renville, Swift and Yellow Medicine. http://wp.me/p3if7-3k2

Upcoming Events

• December 8 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Meeting – 10 am
• December 10 – Rural Broadband and Digital Inclusion Planning Webinar http://wp.me/p3if7-3k7

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

Words count!  I heard that message again and again at the Border to Border Broadband Conference.  What do providers want to hear to entice their interest in partnerships?  What do county commissioners need to hear to spur their commitment of funds?  And what do the digitally excluded and non-adopters need to hear to get them to attend training and learn new skills?   Messaging is both hard work and time consuming.

Equal to the task of finding the right message is identifying the most effective messenger and determining the best timing for your message delivery.  Our BBCs learned some specific messaging strategies at the end of the conference as Blandin staff Alie Mcinerney led them through a “Planning to Win” campaign planning session.   Ali is a great instructor, but we learned that not even the Best of our BBCs could take in any more information by Friday afternoon!  People need to be ready to receive a message for it to sink in.  It’s a good thing that you can find the campaign planning tools at www.planningtowin.org.

One very positive trend for broadband messaging is the growing list of successful broadband partnerships.  These provide clear examples and provide quick confidence of the path to success.  You can shape your message by using quality examples.  You can find convincing messengers by asking project leaders to share their stories.  You cannot communicate too much or too often and you need to realize the long-term approach required for success.

If you are interested in “planning to win” your local broadband campaign, let us know.  We will be working with local teams to help them move their conversation forward.