Monthly Archives: December 2016

Governor Dayton Appoints Senator Katie Sieben to Public Utilities Commission, Appoints Commissioner Nancy Lange as Chair

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Changes at the PUC, from Governor Dayton’s Office...

Governor Dayton Appoints Senator Katie Sieben to Public Utilities Commission, Appoints Commissioner Nancy Lange as Chair

December 28, 2016

Vacancy created by pending term expiration of current Chair, Commissioner Beverly Jones Heydinger

ST. PAUL, MN – Governor Mark Dayton today announced the appointment of Senator Katie Sieben to serve a six year term on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. She will be replacing Commissioner Beverly Jones Heydinger, who currently serves as Chair of the Commission and did not seek reappointment. Governor Dayton has selected current Commissioner Nancy Lange to serve as Chair of the Commission, for a term expiring on January 7, 2019. Commissioner Lange and Senator Sieben will assume their respective duties on January 23, 2017.

“I thank Chair Beverly Jones Heydinger for her tremendous work leading the Public Utilities Commission for the people of Minnesota, and I thank Commissioner Nancy Lange for agreeing to succeed her as Chair,” said Governor Dayton. “Commissioner Lange has earned the trust and respect of her colleagues on the Commission for her strong, balanced, and inclusive leadership.”

“Senator Katie Sieben has been a strong leader in the Minnesota Senate on clean energy, consumer reforms, and fiscal responsibility. She will be an excellent Member of the Public Utilities Commission,” said Governor Dayton.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regulates three cornerstone service industries of Minnesota’s economy, including electricity, natural gas, and telephone services. Its mission is to create and maintain a regulatory environment that ensures safe, reliable, and effective utility services at fair and reasonable rates. More information about the Public Utilities Commission can be found on the Commission’s website.

Legislators think “broadband is not a high priority” for Minnesotans in 2017

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According to InForum…

A new report says $100 million in state money is needed every two years to help expand broadband high-speed internet throughout Minnesota, but rural lawmakers have said relatively little about it leading up to the 2017 Legislature.

In a series of Forum News Service lawmaker interviews before the session, none brought up the issue. When asked, rural legislators said more state aid is needed, but there was a feeling that the issue is less of a priority than in past years.

Getting enough money to expand broadband will be tough, “given the fact that there are other issues that get more attention,” Sen. Kent Eken, D-Twin Valley, said when asked.

The senator said that broadband is not a high priority for the general public when compared to improving roads and spending money on other issues.

“In some of our rural communities, you don’t know what you are missing if you don’t have it,” he said.

Local media picks up on Broadband Task Force: Wahpeton Daily, Hometown Focus, Politics in Minnesota

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I will try to condense the media mentions of the Task Force report – especially when the stories are similar and based off the press release sent out by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Today I noticed articles in:

There was one difference in the stories – the Hometown Focus and Politics in Minnesota each mention the two-phase speed goals in Minnesota: ubiquitous access to 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up (25/3) by 2022 and 100/20 by 2016. Wahpeton only mentions the 2022 goal, which I think is worth mentioning because while the 2022 goals would make Minnesota competitive by 2016 standards (25/3 is the current definition of broadband according to the FCC), I think 2026 goals aim at helping Minnesota be more competitive in the future.

Rural broadband may be contentious issue at Minnesota Legislature in 2017

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Here’s the latest from the Minnesota News Network…

Expect another fight at the legislature in 2017 over money to expand broadband Internet access in Greater Minnesota. Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith says the administration will propose “another robust investment,” after a special task force recommended 100 million dollars every two years. Smith calls broadband “a critical tool for building a fair economy.”

But Republican Representative Pat Garofalo says technological changes and market forces will improve broadband access “way more than more government spending.  Just like the government didn’t buy cell phone towers to bring cell phone service to rural areas, it’s the exact same thing with broadband,” he says.

Garofalo says fiber-optic installations are very expensive and don’t make sense in low-density rural settings — but he says emerging technologies such as wireless could work.  Garofalo says “if the policy changes are made to allow for more wireless technologies, new emerging technologies, that gives us the opportunity to deliver broadband to way more people at a far lower price.”

It’s a glimpse at what topics will emerge. It’s an opportunity to help educate community leaders and policy makers.

Minnesota Broadband Task Force Releases Annual Report

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The Broadband Task Force report is out. Below the press release, I will post links to notes on the meetings the Task Force held in 2016 if you want a flavor of how they come up with the recommendations…

Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Releases Annual Report

~Report contains policy recommendations, including ongoing biennial funding of $100 million for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program~

ST. PAUL – The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband released its annual report today, which includes recommendations for Gov. Mark Dayton, the Legislature and other policymakers to consider during the 2017 legislative session.

The recommendations outlined in the report are aimed at ensuring every Minnesotan has access to broadband and the ability to use it. The recommendations include $100 million in ongoing funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grand Development Program and $10 million in operating funds for the Office of Broadband Development, located within the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

“Last year, we made strides with the largest investment in the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program to date, but we know there’s more work to be done to achieve our goal of broadband access for every Minnesotan,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband. “Broadband plays a vital role in connecting people to health care, education and the global economy. The recommendations in our report will continue to move us closer to the border-to-border broadband access we need to succeed now and into the future.”

“Our goal is to make high-speed broadband accessible to every home, school, business and community in the state, particularly in Greater Minnesota,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “This is an important tool that will not only improve the quality of life of all Minnesotans, but will be an investment in the future economic development of our state.”

The Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program, created by the Legislature in 2014 and initially funded at $20 million, provides funding to build the state’s broadband infrastructure and promote broadband access in unserved and underserved areas of the state. The grants provide up to a dollar-for-dollar match on funds, not to exceed $5 million for any one project, and are distributed to qualified entities.

Minnesota’s universal broadband access and speed goals, updated in the 2016 legislative session, specify that all businesses and homes should have access to high-speed broadband services at a download speed of at least 25 megabits per second and minimum upload speeds of at least 3 megabits per second by 2022. These speeds are in alignment with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) definition of high-speed broadband.

By 2026, the recently adopted state speed goals provide that all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to at least one provider of broadband with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second. Ongoing funding to support the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program is critical to incent providers to build to these new and faster state speed goals, especially in the most rural areas of Minnesota.

The Task Force recommendation to allocate $10 million in operating funds to the Office of Broadband Development recognizes that specific and targeted policies and programs can effectively aid the adoption of broadband and assist in deployment.

Additional policy recommendations include:

1. Take action to promote and communicate “dig once” policies

  1. Establish a legislative cybersecurity commission for the purpose of information sharing, monitoring workforce issues, and supporting and strengthening infrastructure
  2. Continue to monitor advancing telecommunications technologies
  3. Amend building codes to require that multi-tenant housing units funded with public dollars deploy cabling that supports easier management of broadband connectivity
  4. Build computer donation partnerships between state agencies and community-based organizations that get computers into the hands of those who need them
  5. Modify the state Telecommunications Assistance Program to better align with the national Lifeline program to subsidize the cost of broadband service for low income households
  6. Support continued funding of Regional Library Telecommunications Aid (RLTA)
  7. Fully fund Telecommunications Access Equity Aid

The full report can be found here.

Task Force meetings:

$7.72 million invested in Region Five broadband – more info from their 5 year study

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Region Five (aka the Resilient Region) recently released a 5 year study. Very interesting to see the rise and impact of broadband. (Spoiler alert: they raised $7.72 million for broadband in the area.)

I think things got serious when they expanded their vision to explicitly include broadband (and several other topics). If you want it to get done, I think you have to name it – explicitly…

Theme areas include:

  1. housing and affordable housing
  2. connectivity/broadband
  3. energy
  4. natural resources & development patterns
  5. education & workforce development
  6. transportation
  7. economic engines
  8. health care
  9. changing population
  10. government efficiency and effectiveness

The report goes on to outline the broadband work…

Broadband Adoption and Connectivity Initiatives In 2011, R5DC was invited to participate as a Minnesota Intelligent Rural Community (MIRC) and to partner with the Blandin Foundation to provide public engagement and outreach for the Foundation’s $4.7 million Broadband grant, intended to increase levels of adoption and connectivity in rural Minnesota.  As a MIRC member, R5DC launched broadband initiatives such as

PC’s for People  is a 501C3 that recycles and refurbishes used computers and donates them to low income individuals and families throughout Minnesota.   These services are located in both Crow Wing and Cass counties.

Lightspeed Grant  – As a result of a Blandin Lightspeed grant, R5DC was able to equip 11  rural fire departments with the technology to live stream training events resulting in increased efficiency and cost savings for rural fire departments in administering training.

And detail one story…

Expanding Broadband Access to the Last Rural Mile

The Resilient Region Plan prioritized the need for increased connectivity to adequate, affordable broadband as crucial for retaining and attracting both businesses and residents, improving efficiencies and quality in education and health care, and alleviating problems of workforce shortage.

“People are interested in staying and/or moving to the rural communities in the region. This includes millennials staying in their hometowns or moving in for the small-town way of life for themselves and their children, and baby boomers making their lake homes permanent residences. A crucial factor is that they need to have broadband,” echoed Brainerd hometown millennial, Staci Headley, R5DC Transportation Planner.

Many R5DC’s residents live in “last rural mile” communities and farming communities that are “underserved” and “unserved” due to factors that go into making broadband both technically and economically feasible for those who provide it and those who buy it. Multiple organizations have supported broadband expansion. The Blandin Foundation supported the Resilient Region’s Virtual Highway Task Force as a Blandin Broadband Community. National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA) regional purchasing alliance cooperative invested over $200,000 in the past years in engineering needed for grant applications and coordination of other activities by the Virtual Highway Task Force, a subgroup within the Resilient Region Connectivity theme area.

With the initial $4.2 million investments (2014 – 2015) from grants R5DC co-wrote with CTC and West Central Telephone Association (WCTA), along with the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development Investment of $3 million, a total of $7.72 million has been invested in the region to expand broadband infrastructure.  Connectivity to the last rural mile initiatives (January, 2016) have expanded broadband high speed access to 891 households, giving residents the ability to connect for telework, telehealth, and online learning, and strengthening broadband infrastructure for future growth. One hundred twenty-two low income families also have improved computer and internet skills.

Net Inclusion 2017 May 16-17 in St Paul, Minnesota

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I’m excited to share info on the national digital inclusion conference coming to St Paul this summer. I think it’s going to be a great event. I’m getting a good preview as I am on the planning committee. So many interesting people are involved – and I’m excited to introduce folks to the many great things that are happening in Minnesota to close the digital divide…

Net Inclusion 2017 Save-The-Date

May 16-17, 2017
St. Paul, Minnesota

The National Digital Inclusion Alliance and the St. Paul Public Library welcome digital inclusion practitioners, advocates, academics, Internet service providers and policymakers to Net Inclusion 2017: The National Digital Inclusion Summit.

Net Inclusion Purpose:
1.  Discuss current and potential local, state and federal policies with the potential to increase digital equity.
2.  Discuss current and potential sources of financial and programmatic support of digital inclusion programs.
3.  Share digital inclusion best practices and new strategies.

We will be in three walkable venues:
St. Paul Public Library George Latimer Central Library
90 W. 4th St. St. Paul MN 55102
James J. Hill Center
80 W 4th St. St. Paul MN 5501
St. Paul City Hall
15 Kellogg Blvd. West St. Paul MN 55102

The Net Inclusion National Planning Team and the Local Planning Team are working hard to create an awesome event. Net Inclusion will begin the morning of May 16 with digital inclusion program site visit tours in the Twin Cities. We’ll wrap up sessions at 3:30 on May 17.

Support Net Inclusion through Sponsorship.

Tribal Broadband: Status of Deployment and Federal Funding Programs

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A new report called Tribal Broadband: Status of Deployment and Federal Funding Programs was released this week. (The data appears to be from Dec 31, 2014.)

Here are some quick notes on deployment:

  • 10% of all Americans lack access to broadband (25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload)
  • 41% of Americans living on tribal lands lack access to broadband
  • 33% of Americans living on tribal lands in Minnesota lack access to broadband

And quick notes on funding opportunities:

  • FCC – High Cost/Connect America Fund Program
  • FCC – Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) Program
  • FCC – Lifeline Program
  • FCC – Rural Health Care Program/Healthcare Connect Fund
  • RUS – Community Connect Grant Program
  • RUS – Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program
  • RUS – Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program
  • RUS – Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantee Program
  • Substantially Underserved Trust Areas (SUTA)

The report goes into detail and outlines some recommendations for further action.

Canada goes 50/10 Mbps for broadband goal, invests $750 million over 5 years

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Big news from Canada…

Everyone in Canada should be able to access high-speed Internet, the country’s telecom regulator has declared, setting bold targets for speeds and establishing a new fund that will invest up to $750-million over five years to expand broadband services to remote regions.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ruled Wednesday that broadband Internet with download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 10 Mbps will now be considered a “basic telecom service.” It also said all customers, even in rural areas where plans often have low caps on data usage, should have access to unlimited data options.

Apparently 82 percent of Canadian already have access to broadband at this speed, so the $750 million is to reach the last 20 percent.

Minnesota company making websites and apps accessible to people with disabilities

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Hands up – how many of your bought at least half of your holiday presents online? Me too! Some site were easy to use; some where not. I had kid sending me empty shopping carts or texting me links I had to convert to my laptop if I needed to see shipping options. My fingers are crossed that everything arrives on time.

Now imagine the ups and downs of online holiday shopping if you had visual, physical or other impairments that made it even more difficult to complete a purchase online. Or imagine that you sell your wares online and you don’t even know if you’re losing sales because your site is not accessible – there’s a local company that can help with that. They were recently featured in The Line…

While wheelchair ramps, closed captioning and wider doorways have become commonplace, the digital realm still lags behind.

Accessible360, founded by entrepreneur Mark Lacek, seeks to fix that oversight. The company’s purpose is to make websites and digital apps fully functional for those impaired by blindness, deafness, or physical or cognitive restrictions. The company was launched this April and began promotion last month, just in time to help businesses comply with a rollout of new regulations from the Department of Justice in 2018.

It’s something to think about – maybe not today, but next month when the rush is over and you have time to regroup and think about sales for 2017…

Checkout screens are a notorious problem for blind users, he explains, which alienates disabled users and decreases potential sales. Studies show that disabled Americans spend more time online than their non-disabled counterparts, so it’s essential for companies to adapt to their needs. “Up to 85 percent of websites are not compliant based on what the current ADA guidelines are,” says Lacek.

One added bonus – generally what’s good for accessibility is also good for search engine optimization!

Arrowhead Region using telepresence to serve mental health needs

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Congrats to the Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition for winning a Minnesota Local Government Innovation Award…

County Category: Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition—Collaborative Integration in Person-Centered Services for Integrated Behavioral Health
Arrowhead Health Alliance, a joint-powers entity representing the Minnesota counties of Carlton, Cook, Lake, Koochiching and St. Louis, helped create The Arrowhead Telepresence Coalition (ATC). The ATC is a virtual collaborative focused on developing and expanding an integrated behavioral health network that connects community behavioral health providers with schools, jails, rural hospitals, law enforcement, tribal providers, and others to better serve its community members.

You can learn more about the program

It sounds like it’s an idea that the Minnesota Department of Human Services would like to see expand. In a recent innovation brief, they highlighted the Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health recommendation to provide a common platform for tele-mental health communication…

There is a lack of timely access to mental health services in many communities and schools in greater Minnesota. Mental health services across different systems (i.e. schools, counties, etc.) exist in silos, which has caused difficulty in accessing adequate services for individuals and families. A single tele-mental health platform such as Vidyo, a product already in use in many areas, needs to be made more available. Establishing one tele-mental health platform will improve immediate mental health services and access to communities and schools without developing the same complications we are seeing with the expansion of other fragmented technological systems. In addition, by implementing one tele-mental health platform throughout the state maximum flexibility, provider engagement and lower cost are expected to occur.

Recommendations

  • We recommend the development of infrastructure and tools for quick access to clinical mental health services via Internet Telepresence, also known as Tele-Mental Health, between Minnesota communities, schools and contracted providers. Culture, age and developmental appropriateness needs to be taken to consideration when expanding and providing these services.
  • We recommend the development of a single tele-mental health platform to use across the state. The Vidyo software is already being used to provide tele-mental health services in the state and it should be implemented across systems such as schools and other settings where people receive mental health services. Additionally, this should be made available under one state contract for purchasing.

2016 Report to Governor and Legislature, State Advisory Council on Mental Health & Subcommittee on Children’s Mental Health, December, 2016. (Letter from the Chairs, p. 1.)

 

RFP for Broadband Data Collection and Mapping in Minnesota

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The RFP from the Office of Broadband Development…

The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Office of Broadband Development (OBD) requests proposals to collect broadband deployment data (by technology and speed) from the approximately 120 broadband providers in Minnesota and to prepare maps and data reflecting where broadband is available in Minnesota.

The Request for Proposal

Proposals must be received by DEED’s Office of Broadband Development no later than 4:00 pm. on Monday, January 9, 2017. No emails or faxes will be accepted. Late proposals will not be considered.

Contact Information

Email questions by December 28, 2016 to:

Diane Wells, Project Coordinator 
Office of Broadband Development
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
332 Minnesota Street, Suite E200
St. Paul, MN 55101-1351
diane.wells@state.mn.us

Minnesota needs broadband advocates – here are some tools

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MinnPost just ran a great article  – A citizen’s guide to effectively engaging Minnesota lawmakers. It outlines the best ways to capture the attention of your local legislator and tell your story. The article is well worth reading, but here are their top points:

  • Meet them in person – call their office or schedule a meeting through their websites.
  • Go to an event in the district – hear about future events by getting on their email newsletter lists.
  • Let them know you’re a constituent.
  • Know you have the right person – don’t ask them about issues that would be better sent to the city council or federal government.
  • Don’t use a form letter – if you have to use it, personalize it.
  • Do it soon – earlier is better.
  • Know their staffers – they are smart, they schedule meetings, they talk to their legislators.
  • Use social media – follow them, respond to them, reach them using the social media channels they use.

So what does this have to do with broadband? Broadband is just one topic of many that legislators can address this sessions. If you think it’s important – these are some tips for increasing the chances that it does get addressed!

Broadband discussion on AM950 – the impact of broadband on rural areas

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Mike McIntee of AM950 spoke to Bill Coleman (speaking on behalf of the Minnesota Broadband Coalition) about broadband in Minnesota yesterday. (The broadband discussion starts at minute 31:35.) The conversation starts with a definition of broadband and how Minnesota and federal goals and definitions. Bill highlights areas with providers that do provide fast access – such as US Internet and Paul Bunyan Communications.

They talk about the impact of not having broadband. For example, people won’t  move to areas without broadband. Entrepreneurs can’t run their businesses. Students can’t do their homework. In fact, 30 percent of rural Minnesotans can’t get access to real broadband. In towns and cities people have broadband that at least meets FCC definition of broadband but get a few miles – or sometimes even just blocks – away from the town do not have access. They are stuck with slower, more expensive satellite or using personal hotspots for home connectivity, which gets expensive with their data caps.

Mike asks if there’s a way to “make” providers serve everyone. However, broadband is generally an unregulated industry. There’s a move at the FCC to start regulation with universal coverage. But Chairman Wheeler is retiring January, leaving the next Chairman to be appointed by the Trump Administration.

They also spoke about the limitations of wireless connections and improvements in fixed wireless options. As well as the role of fiber is supporting any wireless connections.

They spoke about the impact of having broadband on the value of your house as well as average cost saving broadband can mean for a household budget.

Minnesota Broadband vs Wisconsin Broadband: Mankato says MN wins!

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A recent editorial in the Mankato Free Press compares Minnesota and Wisconsin broadband policies…

Recent news out of Wisconsin highlighted two different approaches to economic development and a reaffirming perhaps that though the Badgers can still beat us in football and basketball, we’ve got their number when it comes to broadband development.

Gov. Scott Walker recently touted a recent $1.5 million annual investment in rural Wisconsin broadband, a figure that is not quite 5 percent of the investment the Minnesota Legislature approved last year.

They recognize the political sway behind the decision to back broadband…

It’s important to note that many outstate Minnesota Republicans in the Legislature broadly supported broadband and increasing the investment. They know that bringing technology to places lacking it allows businesses to expand and bolsters the outstate economy. We should not allow technology to be a limiting factor in quality of life in small town Minnesota. …

However, Republican support for rural broadband grants in Minnesota was not unanimous. In fact, Rep. Pat Garofalo, chairman of the House jobs and energy affordability committee, at one point suggested doing away with all broadband grant money, saying the technology was going to be obsolete.

His Republican colleagues in outstate persuaded him to, if not change his mind about that idea, at least be quiet about it.

They set the tone for continued political support for broadband, even to a national level…

We hope the outstate Republican support for broadband shows that national Republican Party ideology does not drive economic development policy in Minnesota. Republicans were once called “Independent Republicans” in Minnesota. It seems some still are oriented that way for the good of outstate.