The St Cloud Times ran a post over the weekend that outlines the potential broadband sticking points for legislators this fall…

Users are fine with what they have…

Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, said he expects and hopes for additional broadband funding to pass in the upcoming session — even if problems aren’t apparent in the St. Cloud area.

“I don’t think I’ve had one person in my district call me about it,” he said. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t a concern I have for the rest of the state.”

And…

He [Kyle Ackerman, founder of Xtratyme Technologies Inc]said some people have misconceptions of Internet services. While speeds of 1 gigabit per second are attractive — and marketed by Midcontinent Communications and others — Ackerman said they can be unnecessary or problematic for some components.

“I don’t need much more than 20 (Mbps),” Ackerman said.

Netflix recommends a 5 Mbps connection or greater for streaming HD video; for Ultra HD, it says 25 Mbps or more.

While others say users don’t know what they need…

“Too many people are missing out on help that’s available,” he said of telepsychiatry. Dorholt works at a mental health center providing that service, among others.

He said better connections would save patients money by eliminating distant travels.

People equating a desire for better connections with a yearning for luxury items miss out on the longterm cost effectiveness of investing in broadband infrastructure, Dorholt said.

The problem will solve itself…

“I do think there’s a real likelihood that technology is going to take care of this issue,” he said. “But we don’t know how quickly that will happen.”

Wireless options will solve the problem…

On Tuesday, ViaSat announced it will launch satellites the company claims will provide 100 Mbps connections. Other firms such as SpaceX are also exploring sky- and space-based options.

Tax money shouldn’t be spent with one private service provider…

He said a subsidized expansion of hardline broadband networks is “essentially crowding out” alternatives, such as better satellite service.

Dock [Libertarian Party of Minnesota Chair] said when the state collects and distributes funding, some groups might benefit more than others because of better negotiating or favoritism. And state-assisted projects don’t include the same cost-benefit analyses as completely private ones, he said.

He also said a $1.2 billion state surplus doesn’t mean the state underspent the public’s money — it means it overtaxed the people.

While others believe it is the role of government to maintain infrastructure…

Philip Fuehrer, state chair of the Independence Party of Minnesota, said the broadband grant program is a good idea, as “maintaining and improving infrastructure is a key duty of state government.”

He said upgrades to rural areas would benefit the entire state’s economy.