Rural newspapers continue to chime in with their support for broadband funding. Faribault Daily News is the latest addition…

High speed internet has been around for a very long time in metropolitan areas like the Twin Cities, Duluth, Rochester and a few mid-size towns dotting the state map. But for folks in Greater Minnesota, routine streaming of Netflix, YouTube or Storify is still in the process of downloading, so to speak.

Another critical fact that should be taken into account is that Greater Minnesota students from elementary school to high school struggle daily to complete homework because of slow internet.
The perceived failings of the GOP-controlled House – including any workable resolution on broadband − will figure to be critical in the 2016 election cycle, according to House Minority Leader Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Minneapolis). Thissen said on Tuesday in an interview at the Daily News that many pieces of this agenda have been discussed for numerous years.
One of those topics is the development of broadband infrastructure. An increased focus on providing internet service at viable prices is a central component to the agenda, with Gov. Mark Dayton calling for $100 million in investments.
And here’s a suggestion that I like (although I might extend it to anyone who doubts the need for better broadband in rural areas) …
If House Republicans were made to experience the slow internet folks in Greater Minnesota experience every day, they might realize that the issue of border-to-border broadband is one worth getting behind.