A letter to the editor in the Alexandria Echo Press spells out the need for broadband in rural Minnesota

No one can say they are listening to the needs of rural Minnesota unless they acknowledge the need for, and work to achieve, significant state investments in border-to-border broadband and public transit.

The disparity of high-speed internet connectivity between people who live in urban areas and those who live in rural areas is vast. Students are stymied when working on school projects, small businesses are hurt when they cannot reach customers or vendors, and all citizens face uncertainty when neither they nor their doctors can reach medical help online. It’s difficult to attract doctors, dentists, and young people to small communities unless they know they can research and collaborate effectively online.

And asks the legislators to invest more money…

House Republicans attempted to eliminate the Office of Broadband Development and are proposing just $35 million for broadband expansion, when the governor’s broadband task force says we actually need $200 million. And we know from past experience that they only vote for fixing roads and bridges if transportation dollars for public transit are reduced or withheld. It’s time for those of us wanting to stay in outstate Minnesota to vote for candidates who listen to us — not just say they are listening.