Monthly Archives: July 2017

What’s the take on Microsoft’s proposal to bring broadband to rural areas?

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I wrote about the Microsoft proposal to bring broadband to rural areas when it first came out. I had some reservations – many based on satellite being the solution for the last mile. I think that leaves that last mile falling farther and farther down the digital divide. I’ve seen a few other takes on Microsoft’s plan; others have reservations too.

Susan Crawford (in Wired) points out that Microsoft is really looking at broadband for the Internet of Things…

Here’s what’s really going on: Microsoft is aiming to be the soup-to-nuts provider of Internet of Things devices, software, and consulting services to zillions of local and national governments around the world. Need to use energy more efficiently, manage your traffic lights, target preventative maintenance, and optimize your public transport—but you’re a local government with limited resources and competence? Call Microsoft. …

Now let’s get behind those laudatory headlines in the Times and Post. Microsoft doesn’t want to have to rely on existing mobile data carriers to execute those plans. Why? Because the carriers will want a pound of flesh—a percentage—in exchange for shipping data generated by Microsoft devices from Point A to Point B. These costs can become very substantial over zillions of devices in zillions of cities. The carriers have power because, in many places, they are the only ones allowed to use airwave frequencies—spectrum—under licenses from local governments for which they have paid hundreds of millions of dollars. To eliminate that bottleneck, it will be good to have unlicensed spectrum available everywhere, and cheap chipsets and devices available that can opportunistically take advantage of that spectrum. …

And hustled is what we will be if we believe that Microsoft’s plans, by themselves, will fix America’s desperate internet access problem in rural areas. You see, while using white spaces will certainly be better than nothing in rural locations, those guard bands simply aren’t wide enough to allow for genuine, world-class internet data transmission to human beings in living rooms. Not possible. Not enough bandwidth. True, where commercial mobile radio (like AT&T and Verizon) isn’t available at all, white spaces will definitely help. You could use it for Internet of Things applications that are very very useful, as in advanced agriculture—don’t need to send much data to do that. But you would never use a white spaces transmission service alone if you didn’t have to. You’d end up with maybe a handful of Mbps or even less—hundreds of times less than what people with fiber would be getting. White spaces will definitely be another arrow in the quiver used by local fixed wireless operations, but they are no kind of substitute for actual great consumer internet access in rural areas.

From a discussion with Harold Feld on Community Broadband Network’s Podcast…

And again, it’s important to recognize that TV White Space isn’t so much a technology as a bunch of frequencies we’re opening up so that people can develop new technologies. Right now, and again, it’s important to keep in mind there’s a difference between speeds you get in the laboratory, versus speeds that you can actually get in the real world. Right now, I think what they’re talking about is putting out networks that would operate at 45 megabits per second, symmetrical both ways, which, in a lot of rural areas, is much better than what you now. Even for a lot of folks in urban areas, if you do it cheaply and affordably, that’s better than the options that are available at much higher prices from the cable companies. The problem is wireless is very complicated, and we’re talking about devices that are operating at comparatively very low power. Television stations operate at 50,000 watts. Your TV White Space device is operating at one watt for the fixed devices, even less than that in microwatts for the more mobile devices when those come out. So, the other thing that people have to keep in mind is your speed or your broadband network isn’t just about the wireless part, it also then depends a lot on the back haul, what’s available. If you’re using wireless to bring it back to some place where it will land on fiber for back haul, then every hop cost to you moves from one tower to another, costs you more speed. So, we’re probably talking initially things that are more in the range of 10 megabits per second down with potentially the same or slightly less up. So, initially, this is going to be good for people who don’t really have anything, and it will give them stuff that’s useful, but not up to where it needs to be. Now, again, the technology’s going to keep getting better as it moves along, and the Microsoft folks have said, “We’re depending on a bunch of other inputs; we’re depending on the FCC doing things to make it possible to use the spectrum more effectively; we’re depending on finding ways to do things like getting fiber out, not in the communities to serve the communities, at least close enough that we can use it as back haul for the networks that are set up with these TV White Space devices.” So, everybody should keep in mind — Listeners should keep in mind that we’re at the beginning here. In rural areas, you have a lot of open TV White Spaces, because you have a lot of unused channels. That gives you a lot of capacity so you can get better speed on the wireless side, but that’s offset by having, in a lot of places, still needing to use copper, or some kind of wireless for you back haul. So, that drops the parent speed. I would say look for this to be more like eight to ten megabits locally, at least in the first generation deployments.

Craig Settle via Daily Yonder points out that local communities must have some ownership …

What’s really at issue here is that if communities are not holding the driving wheel on broadband projects and they don’t own or at least rent the vehicle, they are ultimately a passenger in someone else’s ride. At some point, the needs of the network owner could trump the needs of the community.

Odasz recalls that, “we have not seen Microsoft do any meaningful outreach to rural America as in terms of meeting the particular web-based challenges that these communities have. Microsoft’s TVWS strategy relies heavily on incumbents and politicians, which historically have fallen short on resolving rural broadband needs.”

Odasz believes that the private sector is all in favor of training that could lead to jobs such as programming or working in a data center. However, they fall short when teaching displaced workers in manufacturing or mining how to become e-commerce entrepreneurs, or how to use broadband to improve in their current blue-collar or professional Jobs. The politics of communication regulation have led politicians to support “incumbents” – the legacy telephone companies – rather than new approaches. Programs to help constituents defray the cost of broadband can be hit or miss.

Similar to Google’s entry into broadband, the Microsoft TVWS announcement is good news for getting infrastructure into more places, particularly within rural communities. The jury is still out has to how much this new connectivity will improve local economies, education, and healthcare for those in the communities who need broadband most.

Learn to Code – a kids program in Winona working through Project FINE

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I’m delighted to share details on an initiative from Project FINE and supported by the Blandin Foundation. It’s a great sample of what you can do with a kids coding class, if you have a college nearby…

Learn To Code program activities began in August 2016 with the summer camp.  In our grant proposal, we planned to host two camps: one in Winona and one in St. Charles.  During the camp planning phase, we worked closely with the College of Business at Winona State University and they generously allowed us to access technology and space on-campus to host a combined camp for youth from Winona & St. Charles.  This was a great benefit for the students, because we had a wonderful technology setup, with laptops, ipads, dual monitors for instruction and plenty of classroom space.  It also gave the youth a chance to visit the Winona State University campus and become familiar with a college classroom setting.

We were fortunate to have a local instructor to teach coding to youth at the summer camp.   He works in the technical support field and had previously taught coding classes for a local charter school.  Our camp sessions were held over 2 weeks from 4-8pm each weekday.  We originally planned to host the camp for 2 hours each day, but our instructor suggested we expand the camp time to allow the kids more hands-on experience, and the timeframe worked out very well.  16 youth participated in the camp, and they learned basic coding principles and how to use XCode to modify existing apps for games.  They worked together to modify and develop games and learned how to use a test mode to simulate the app use on a computer.  They also learned how to access their apps on an ipad, check for bugs, identify coding errors and make simple adjustments.

Following the coding camp, after-school sessions were held in both Winona and St. Charles during the 2016-17 school year.  Based on our experience with the app camp, we chose to host the Winona sessions in the fall of the year and the St. Charles sessions in the spring.  This allowed our volunteers and staff to focus on assisting one group at a time and gave more continuity for the youth.  50 students participated in the after-school sessions and they each learned to create multiple apps.  During the summer camp, we gained a greater understanding of the difficulty of creating apps or games and the challenges of writing code.  For the after-school programming, we decided to use a simpler block method of coding and used “Scratch” curriculum and activities developed by MIT.  This was a good choice, as the after-school sessions were shorter and less intense than the camp and the simpler coding format allowed youth to jump right in and begin creating code.

Throughout the after-school sessions, we had a group of 10 volunteers who served as mentors for the youth. They were a wonderful addition to the program, allowing for more individual assistance for youth and providing technical knowledge that was beyond our staff capacity.  The majority of the volunteers were college students studying in technology- or computer-related fields, and a few were young professionals already working in a career in technology.

One of our additional goals for the project was to provide information about STEM-related careers and increase interest through visits to tech companies or educational institutions.  The volunteers helped with this goal throughout the project, serving as role models for the youth and sharing their educational and work experiences.  We also toured the Winona State University campus during the summer camp and visited Minnesota State College Southeast in April 2017.  At Minnesota State College Southeast, the Dean of Trade and Technology gave the youth a tour of their various technology classrooms and lab spaces and shared the many technology-related opportunities they offer.  We also visited Benchmark Electronics, which is an international electronics company that engineers and manufactures a wide variety of technology products that are used in health care, manufacturing, transportation and other areas.  The youth learned about some of the products they design and manufacture, and saw various stages of production from concept drawings to computer boards to assembly and completed parts.  It was a great tie-in to our Minnesota State College Southeast visit, as our tour guide was an alumnus who has worked at the company for many years and now holds an upper-level management position.  The youth were very surprised to learn about all the different products, the type of coding and technology used to created them, and the many technology career options in the Winona area.

Register Today! 2017 Border to Border Broadband conference

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I want to be sure to post reminders of the upcoming Fall Broadband conference (this one originally went out via email)…

We hope you will be joining us for Border to Border Broadband: Bridging the Gaps – Expanding the Impact, our annual broadband conference, October 25-26 at Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd. This year’s conference draws inspiration from around the state to showcase a variety of approaches that rural communities have developed to expand broadband’s impact, leverage investments, and bridge the digital divide. But inspiration doesn’t stop at Minnesota’s border! Our keynote presenter, Dr. Roberto Gallardo will travel to Madden’s by way of the Purdue Center for Regional Development to pose the question, Is Rural Minnesota Poised for the Digital Age?

The Digital Economy is growing exponentially. Communities that are prepared will soar; those that aren’t will fall farther and farther behind. Roberto Gallardo has been watching this growth and the impact on rural areas. He understands the connection between broadband, digital inclusion and economic vitality at the community and individual level. He will share his most recent research on the impact of broadband on rural areas with a real focus on Minnesota, giving us insights on how we compare with other states – information we can use to inspire community leaders, policymakers and providers. Get a taste of what Roberto has to share in his TEDxJackson talk from 2016.

Check out the conference webpage for more details, including the preliminary agenda.

Register Today!

The 2017 Border to Border Broadband conference is your opportunity to connect and reconnect with others working for a future in which everyone in Minnesota will be able to use convenient, affordable world-class broadband networks that enable us to survive and thrive in our communities and across the globe.

We hope to see you there!

~Bernadine Joselyn
Blandin Foundation

Minnesota sets a broadband example for other states, such as Virginia

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Nice to see other states look to Minnesota as a broadband model. The Roanoke Times reports that Ralph Northam, Democratic candidate for governor, it using MN as a model…

Now we come to the money shot: Northam calls for the state to work with telecom providers to establish a set of broadband goals. “Similar to the legislation Minnesota has passed, Virginia needs a clear set of metrics to evaluate broadband access, upload and download speeds, as well as Virginia’s rank among our neighbors.”

So just what is that Minnesota law he’s referencing? A fascinating one.

In 2010, Minnesota realized that high-speed connections are as essential to the new economy as high-speed transportation links are. More importantly, it decided to do something about it. That year, the state enacted a remarkable law that set specific goals to be achieved by 2015.

He pulls out two lessons specifically…

The lesson for us: While Northam makes his proposal in the context of a governor’s race, there’s no reason why this plan should be partisan. It seems the sort of thing Virginia should do regardless of whether the next governor is Northam or Ed Gillespie, his Republican opponent. It’s really a pretty business-like approach. We pay attention to lots of other rankings — business climate, tax burden, and so forth. This just adds broadband as another infrastructure data point.

The second important lesson from Minnesota is that the state is agnostic toward who provides broadband to rural areas. This year, the state has $35 million available for grants. Private firms are eligible for those. So are non-profits. So are local governments. Minnesota doesn’t have an ideological hang-up over municipal broadband the way some in Virginia do. Earlier this year, Del. Kathy Byron, R-Bedford County, tried to push through a bill that would have effectively crippled municipal broadband in the state. The theory may be sound: Government shouldn’t compete with private industry. The reality is more complicated: If private enterprise could make money on rural broadband, it would already be doing so. It can’t, so it’s not. Minnesota understands that the practicality of rural economic development is more important than some academic philosophy.

Minnesota has done a good job – but the job isn’t finished. Let’s hope we can continue to be a shining star with bipartisan support for continued funding.

Blandin recognizes Lake County’s courage to expand broadband

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The Lake County News Chronicle today posts a letter from Blandin Foundation president Kathy Annette applauding Lake County’s effort to improve local broadband…

Hope is the engine that powers change. Hope inspires communities to imagine a vibrant future for themselves and the generations to come.

Lake County leaders’ foresight, and ultimate decision, to strengthen their community by expanding high-speed Internet (broadband) access was grounded in hope for a better future and deserves recognition.

In 2009, county leaders already had figured out what other rural communities are just now realizing — that broadband access, and the skills to use it, are fundamental for strong economies, leading-edge education and healthcare, and a high quality of life.

Listening to the needs of their communities, Lake County leaders took courageous action on an issue that will define their future. Their ability to pull people together, identify needs, pool resources and forge partnerships — skills they used to make their broadband expansion choice — will serve them time and time again when opportunities and challenges arise.

We see the same forward-leaning hope in other work, county leaders have invited Blandin Foundation into, such as Two Harbors’ participation in the Leaders Partnering to End Poverty Program (LPEP). Organized through LPEP, Beacons of Hope leaders now combat poverty through inclusive conversation and action with leadership skills learned and exercised during training.

We saw it five years ago when Lake County was a Blandin Broadband Community. Making the most of the broadband connectivity they had at the time, leaders created a shared vision to improve Internet use. They launched a YouTube channel to share training videos, paired youth and seniors together to improve digital literacy, and created a central online source for community information, events and resources.

And the energy continues this summer. Two Harbors is recruiting for its third Blandin Community Leadership Program cohort.

We see how Lake County leaders continue to do what it takes to ensure a healthy and inclusive — vibrant — future for residents.

When it comes to rural broadband access, the need is great. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for success. Each community’s situation is unique, and the menu of possible approaches is strongly impacted by whether any local providers are willing and able to partner.

Without a subsidy or incentive, for-profit providers sometimes cannot fully serve areas that don’t bring them enough financial return. That’s why some communities — like Lake County — choose to take their future into their own hands. As a result of their bold vision, Lake County residents now can use their world-class broadband network to do things like turn home offices into global operations, increasing sales and reducing costs. Research from the Strategic Networks Group found that for every $1 invested in broadband access and use, local economies see a return of $10. This confirms that broadband is one of the best bets a community can make when it comes to its future.

Communities must press on through successes and hurdles. Broadband access is fundamental to the survival of rural communities. Business people, students, patients and families feel that now more than ever. As rural champions, we must do what we can to kindle hope and empower local leaders to take action to meet their community’s needs.

We applaud you, Lake County, for your courageous leadership and your hopeful commitment to building a better future.

Broadband project in Kandiyohi County in precarious position

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The West Central Tribune reports on the latest twist of the CTC-Kandiyohi County broadband project (and recipient of MN broadband grant)…

County Administrator Larry Kleindl received notice late Thursday afternoon from Consolidated Telecommunications Co. CEO Kevin Larson that the Brainerd company intends to pull out of the project.

In a signed letter sent via email, Larson said the “lack of sufficient future broadband subscribers financially committed to the project” led the company’s board of directors to decide not to accept a $4.9 million state grant that was a key piece of the $10 million project, which would also have included $5 million in county-backed tax abatement bonds.

“Proceeding with the project would not be financially responsible for our Cooperative,” Larson wrote.

Kleindl said he was caught off-guard by the company’s decision.

It sounds as if local folks are saying it’s not over ‘til it’s over…

Despite the bleak announcement from Consolidated Telecommunications Co., Kleindl and [Representative] Baker said they are not ready to give up and will pursue negotiations in hopes of still reaching a positive resolution.

Strut Your Stuff Broadband Tour in Ely: Community portal, feasibility, PCs for People

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Three broadband visits in one day! We met with the Ely Thursday night. I didn’t record most of the introductions but I wanted to include the comment from one attendee talking about what brought her to the meeting and the broadband effort…

Ely is known for being divisive but broadband is an issue that we can all agree on. We need it. We need it now! It’s nice to be pushing in the same direction to get broadband – even with folks with whom we don’t always agree.

And my notes… Continue reading →

Presidential Executive Order Establishing a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure

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By executive order…

EXECUTIVE ORDER- – – – – – –

ESTABLISHING A PRESIDENTIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INFRASTRUCTURE
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  It shall be the policy of the executive branch to advance infrastructure projects that create high-quality jobs for American workers, enhance productivity, improve quality of life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic growth.

Sec. 2.  Establishment of Council.  There is established in the Department of Commerce the Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure (Council).

Sec. 3.  Membership of Council.  (a)  The Council shall be composed of not more than 15 members.  The members shall be appointed by the President and drawn from the public with relevant experience or subject-matter expertise to represent the interests of the following infrastructure sectors:

(i)     real estate;

(ii)    finance;

(iii)   construction;

(iv)    communications and technology;

(v)     transportation and logistics;

(vi)    labor;

(vii)   environmental policy;

(viii)  regional and local economic development; and

(ix)    other sectors determined by the President to be of value to the Council.

(b)  The President shall designate two Co-Chairs of the Council from among the Council’s members.  The Co-Chairs may designate one or more Vice Chairs from among the Council’s members.

Sec. 4.  Mission of Council.  The Council shall study the scope and effectiveness of, and make findings and recommendations to the President regarding, Federal Government funding, support, and delivery of infrastructure projects in several sectors, including surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resources, renewable energy generation, electricity transmission, broadband, pipelines, and other such sectors as determined by the Council.  In pursuing its mission, the Council shall make findings and recommendations concerning the following:

(a)  prioritizing the Nation’s infrastructure needs;

(b)  accelerating pre-construction approval processes;

(c)  developing funding and financing options capable of generating new infrastructure investment over the next 10 years;

(d)  identifying methods to increase public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects, including appropriate statutory or regulatory changes;

(e)  identifying best practices in and opportunities to improve procurement methods, grant procedures, and infrastructure delivery systems; and

(f)  promoting advanced manufacturing and infrastructure-related technological innovation.

Sec. 5.  Administration of Council.  (a)  The Department of Commerce shall provide the Council with such administrative support, including staff, facilities, equipment, and other support services, as may be necessary to carry out its mission.

(b)  The Secretary of Commerce shall, within 60 days of the date of this order, submit questions to the Council for consideration in its work and report.

(c)  Members of the Council shall serve without any additional compensation for their work on the Council.  Members of the Council appointed from among private citizens of the United States, while engaged in the work of the Council, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, to the extent permitted by law for persons serving intermittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), consistent with the availability of appropriations.

(d)  Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (Act), may apply to the Council, any functions of the President under that Act, except for those in section 6 and section 14 of that Act, shall be performed by the Secretary of Commerce, in accordance with the guidelines that have been issued by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 6.  Report of Council.  The Council shall submit to the President a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Sec. 7.  Termination of Council.  The Council shall terminate on December 31, 2018, unless extended by the President before that date, or within 60 days after submitting its report pursuant to section 6 of this order, whichever occurs first.

Sec. 8.  General Provisions.  (a)  The heads of executive departments and agencies shall cooperate with and provide information to the Council as may be necessary to carry out the mission of the Council, consistent with applicable law.

(b)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(d)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 19, 2017.

 

Strut Your Stuff Broadband Tour in Hibbing: Business training, wifi, feasibility study

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This afternoon I got to spend time with folks in Hibbing to hear about how they are building greater interest and great use of broadband. It was great to hear about the projects and hear how the projects have allowed people to connect with parts of their community that hadn’t been part of their regular lives previously. Broadband connects people online and off!

Feasibility study

  • Neo Connect – Diana Cruse
  • They will do the feasibility and be prepared to turn it into a MN state grant application.
  • The cost is $93,000
  • There are 13 communities involved in the feasibility study all in the Iron Range.
  • Kick off meeting is tomorrow.

Hibbing schols has a 1-to-1 program

  • We were able to increase public wifi.
  • Going to look at places with wifi and see if we can expand wif for public at certain times. We can broadcast that info – so people can go to the college (for example) as opposed to McDonald’s.
  • We are getting mobile hotspots for library so that folks can check them out. We’re going to test and map based on vendors.

Online marketing for small businesses

  • 7 bus owners working on e-marketing – starting with a contest
  • We will be measuring results – are they making more money?

Technology Career Fair – November 7

  • Invite HS students to learn about tech jobs
  • Expecting 300 students

Have speakers lined up

  • Medical
  • Security
  • Manufacturing
  • Social Media marketing

PCs for People

  • They will deliver 53 computers on Aug 16
  • Computers will go to everyone from kids to seniors and ABE students.
  • Compudyne will offer tech support.

Hey – what about a technology fair for adults?

Strut Your Stuff Broadband Tour Chisholm MN: Back of the bus view of rural broadband

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Today I got to bus ride around Chisholm. The video is horrible – because I was on a school bus! But when you can hear the stories – it’s absolutely worth it to listen to what life without broadband is like for local citizens and how they are working to make the broadband situation better for everyone.

And my notes… Continue reading →

Broadband, youth and civic engagement – see it in action on Aug 4 in St Paul

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I wanted to share the invitation from one of my favorite events. It’s a great place to get good ideas for technology and breathe in a little optimism of youth! I will be attending and taking notes – especially since I know St Paul is a long way from many readers. But if you are in the area, it really is an inspiring event.

Every year our CTEP AmeriCorps members choose community action projects that make a contribution to bridging the digital divide. Please join us on Friday, August 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, where our members will share their accomplishments and struggles in creating community change through their projects. Feel free to swing by earlier for informal networking starting at 9 a.m; bagels and coffee will be served.

PLEASE Register Here

Read more about what CTEP members did in their 2017 Civic Engagement Projects:

The Digital Homeroom
Consolidated online resources for students to learn computer skills through one website. CTEP members collaborated with Jen Vanek, a longtime advocate and researcher of digital literacy instruction for English language learners. The Digital Homeroom website hosts online learning tools such as videos, infographics, and interactive games. Community Partner: University of Minnesota Researcher, School of Education.

Net Inclusion 2017
Contributed to the local Net Inclusion 2017 planning committee and helped organize the logistics of a two-day conference. The conference was hosted by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance and the St. Paul Public libraries in downtown Saint Paul in May and attracted local, national, and international digital equity advocates.  Community Partner: National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
Make Sense with Cents
Conducted three digital and financial literacy workshops at both the Brooklyn Park and Roseville libraries. The workshops introduced participants to topics such as budgeting in Excel, online banking, understanding credit scores, and investment options.Community Partner: Roseville Public Library and Brooklyn Park Library.

Stop! Animate!
Stop! Animate! is the second annual summer animation camp for youth in the Twin Cities. Our focus is on engaging youth voices through fun and hands on media making. Community Partner: Project for Pride in Living.

Food & Technology
Met weekly to cook and teach photography and blogging to teens from Common Bond, a public housing non-profit. The teens cooked with veggies from the community garden and we collaborated to put together a blog about their kitchen adventures. Community Partner: Common Bond.

Twin Cities Techettes
Led two week-long summer camps for teen girls interested in pursuing STEM fields. The camps provided a space for the teens to explore a variety of STEM skills, collaborate on projects, and hear from women in the community working in STEM fields. The teens received laptops donated by MN Computers for Schools upon completion of the camp. Community Partners: Arlington Hills, Maplewood Public Library, and MN Computers for Schools.

Forms of Pride
Conducted a week-long summer camp for teens participating in the LGBT host program at the Avenues for Homeless Youth. The camp focused on eliciting narratives from the LGBT community through digital storytelling. Community Partner:Avenues for Homeless Youth LGBT Host Program.

Music and U Songwriting Experience (MUSE)
Engaged youth ages 7-12 in a week-long summer camp to help teenagers understand the musical composing and recording process through GarageBand, studio work, and their creative input. Community Partner: Arlington Hills Community Center.

FCC Connect2Health Task Force to host virtual listening sessions

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Announcement from the FCC… (Note – Parties interested in participating in these virtual sessions should contact the Task Force by July 28, 2017, by sending an e-mail to connect2health@fcc.gov, and inserting “Virtual Listening Session” in the subject line.)

The Federal Communications Commission’s Connect2Health Task Force announces that it will convene several virtual listening sessions over several weeks, starting the week of August 7, 2017, to more efficiently facilitate targeted input on broadband health issues (including on the rural/urban gap and other digital divide issues) from non-traditional stakeholders and those outside the Washington, DC area. This effort specifically relates to the Task Force’s development of recommendations on critical regulatory, policy, technical, and infrastructure issues concerning the emerging broadband-enabled health and care ecosystem described in the April 24, 2017, Public Notice issued in GN Docket No. 16-46 (FCC Seeks Comment and Data on Actions to Accelerate Adoption and Accessibility of Broadband-Enabled Health Care Solutions and Advanced Technologies).

In addition, the formal comment period for GN Docket No. 16-46 will remain open until September 29, 2017, to give interested parties an opportunity to file additional comments and information following the completion of the virtual listening sessions.1 Parties have also expressed interest in submitting comments and suggestions for enhancements related to the Mapping Broadband Health in America platform released on June 8, 2017, and this extension will facilitate such filings.

The scheduled virtual listening sessions will serve to supplement the Commission’s typical in person, ex parte meeting process and will be conducted via teleconference with participants from specified stakeholder groups as detailed below. We anticipate that each of the sessions will last for about an hour. Conducting these sessions via teleconference will help ensure that interested parties based outside the Washington, DC area can participate. The calls will be led by Task Force staff and will be recorded and transcribed for the record. The resulting transcripts will be publicly-available in the above referenced docket on the FCC’s website. Interested parties may submit comments and any additional input in response to the discussions reflected in the transcripts.

Parties interested in participating in these virtual sessions should contact the Task Force by July 28, 2017, by sending an e-mail to connect2health@fcc.gov, and inserting “Virtual Listening Session” in the subject line. Please identify the session(s) of interest; provide a brief personal biography; your contact information; a description of your organization (and/or link to your organization website), if applicable; and the extent of your availability (specify days and EST times) during the specified week.3 Please note that the stakeholder groups listed below are based on stakeholders that have submitted comments in the above-referenced docket and/or have engaged the Task Force; the list below is not intended to reflect the full range of stakeholders relevant to broadband health issues. The Task Force welcomes the participation of any interested party. Once final schedules are determined, the Task Force will notify participants of the date and time of their selected session(s), as well as any additional information and instructions.

Virtual Listening Sessions — TENTATIVE SCHEDULE AND STAKEHOLDER GROUPS

Week of Aug. 7: Health Care Provider Forum: e.g., Health system administrators and CIOs, clinicians and other health care providers (including allied health professionals); community health officials and clinicians; small medical practices; public safety and EMS professionals; and researchers

Week of Sept. 11: Rural and Consumer Issues Forum: e.g., Associations and advocacy groups representing rural interests, Tribal lands, people with disabilities, veterans, and older Americans

Week of Sept. 18: Technology and Broadband Services Forum: e.g., Telecommunications carriers, broadband services providers, manufacturers, innovators, and entrepreneurs

Week of Sept. 25: Policymakers Forum: e.g., Federal policymakers; state and local health officials (or their representatives) and other policymakers; associations representing state, county, and city health officials and policymakers; state and local officials involved in developing technology and broadband policies and strategies

For questions and additional information about these virtual listening sessions, please contact Ben Bartolome, Special Counsel, Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, at (770) 935-3383, or via e-mail at Ben.Bartolome@fcc.gov.

Looks like Kandiyohi County residents are putting their hands up for fiber

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The West Central Tribune posts an update on progress of the CTC-Kandiyohi County broadband project. They were awarded a MN broadband grant but needed community support to take the next step. It’s not a done deal yet, but it looks good…

Customer signups for a broadband project in north central Kandiyohi County appear to have reached the goal.

It may still be a few more days, however, until Kandiyohi County officials learn whether the project is officially moving ahead.

The county is partnering with Consolidated Telecommunications Co. of Brainerd to bring high-speed internet to approximately 1,600 households, businesses and institutions in the north central part of the county.

The unofficial count looks good; they are waiting to see if people put their money where their mouths are..

A deadline of July 21 had been set for eligible Kandiyohi County residents to sign up for CTC’s service and pay a $25 refundable deposit. The company has said it won’t go forward with construction of a fiber line until it has commitments from at least 50 percent of the homes and businesses in the project area.

As of Monday, the goal of 810 customers has apparently been met. County officials said Tuesday that deposit payments are still trickling in. It’s likely to be a few more days until all the payments are received and CTC makes a final decision on whether to proceed.

Sen Franken’s Better Deal Economic Plan for Americans includes $20B broadband

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Earlier this week, Senator Franken announced…

Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) helped unveil a new economic agenda to support workers and families in Minnesota. The “Better Deal” plan would help to boost wages, create jobs, bring down people’s expenses, and make sure that the economy works for all Americans—not just those at the very top.

The agenda would hone in on several policies that Sen. Franken has either championed or written legislation on in the past, including measures to brings down prescription drug costs, raise wages, close tax loopholes, invest in infrastructure and high-speed internet, and crack down on trade cheats.

Part of the plan is A Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure Creating Over 15 Million New Jobs…

The Senate Democrats’ “Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure” would make a historic $1 trillion federal investment to modernize our crumbling infrastructure and create more than 15 million jobs that our economy desperately needs. Our Blueprint will improve the daily lives of millions of American families by creating a 21st century transportation network, rebuilding water systems and schools, making our electric system stronger and our communities more resilient, and much more. Our Blueprint will invest directly in communities because Democrats know that we can’t fix a problem of this magnitude simply by tolling more highways or privatizing water and sewer system that profit on ratepayers. We will prioritize projects and communities all across the country. We will have robust set-asides for small towns, rural communities, tribal lands, and underserved populations.

Here’s what is says about broadband…

Connecting America’s Communities $20 billion – Creating 260,000 New Jobs

Problem: Access to quality and affordable high-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity for 21st century commerce, education, telemedicine, and public safety. High-speed internet can unlock communities’ full economic potential, help rural areas attract new employers, improve healthcare outcomes, and help students succeed. Yet, despite its importance, according to recent Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data, as of January 2016, nearly 40% of Americans living in rural areas and 10% of Americans living in urban areas lack access to quality high-speed broadband. The Organization for Economic and Co-Operation Development (OECD) ranks the U.S. 16th in the world in terms of broadband access, and we are 12th in terms of average broadband speed.

Solution: To close the rural-urban divide, and to push toward ubiquitous access to high-speed broadband, we will invest $20 billion to fund the build out of high-speed broadband in unserved and underserved areas. This funding will be available to projects currently eligible under programs at both the Department of Commerce and the US Department of Agriculture. We also propose expanding the programs to enable grant recipients to use grant funds to deploy various types of infrastructure capable of offering, middle-mile, last-mile wired and wireless broadband access, and adding evaluation criteria in the awards process to ensure that the funding goes to the most effective and efficient uses. Finally, we propose ensuring additional funding is available to help upgrade our nation’s aging 9-1-1 system and other critical infrastructure technology.

Minnesota Broadband Grant application reminder – pre-application deadline is July 31

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Just got word from the Office of Broadband Development…

This coming Monday, July 31, is the deadline for potential broadband grant applicants to notify existing wireline broadband providers in their proposed grant project area of their intention to file a grant application.

Potential applicants are required, by statute, to do this a pre-application notification. And they must do so on or before July 31, 2017 (at least six weeks before the application filing deadline of September 11, 2017).

Templates and other info/instructions for notification letters are provided in the grant application document. Here’s are high level details from the Grant website.

Application Process

For the 2017 Border-to-Border Broadband Grant application, the legislature appropriated $20 million in funding. The application period for the 2017 grants program is July 3, 2017 through 4:00 p.m. on Monday, September 11, 2017.

I encourage folks to pre-apply! A grant is a game changer when you’re creating a business plan. Applications for funding are an indicator to legislators of interest and need for funding. The folks at the Office of Broadband Development could not be kinder! So if you have any questions you can contact them.