Here’s a fun reminder of what broadband can really do – make lives better.
The video is from Community O2, an online utility that provides an easy, single sign on, integrated and consistent user interface for a wide range of capabilities which would normally require a user to load and use many individual apps. It is akin to a portal or on-ramp to compile and simply access to favorite online applications.
The West Central Tribune reports…
LTD Broadband recently expanded wireless service to the lakes area of Kandiyohi County with the installation of LTE equipment on water towers in Spicer, on Green Lake, in New London and a tower site by Long Lake.
The company now has 120 towers in Kandiyohi County bringing wireless internet service to rural areas that lack broadband or are underserved.
The newly installed equipment will allow internet download speeds up to 25 mbps with no data caps.
LTD Broadband uses a hybrid fiber and fixed wireless network that provides fast speeds while keeping prices low, especially for customers in remote or sparsely populated rural neighborhoods that are often difficult to serve in a cost-effective way.
“We believe that leveraging existing fiber to deliver high-speed fixed wireless is the best way to continue to expand broadband availability in rural areas,” said Corey Hauer, CEO.
Looks like it happened with the help of Representative Baker…
“This was definitely an area with a need for a better broadband option — and we didn’t have a solution until Rep. Dave Baker linked us up with Kandi Power. Quite simply, we could not have brought service to this area without their help,” Hauer said.
Good news for Minnesota, the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee (BDAC) and Danna Mackenzie, Director of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development. FCC Chairman Pai recently appointed Danna to serve on the BDAC.
The FCC reports…
In addition, the Chairman has appointed Danna Mackenzie, a member of the BDAC’s Removing State and Local Regulatory Barriers working group, to serve on the BDAC as a representative of the Minnesota Office of Broadband Development. Ms. Mackenzie will also serve as one of the Vice Chairs of the Harmonization working group (along with David Young). “I am pleased that Danna will be joining the full BDAC and will serve as one of the Vice Chairs of the Harmonization working group,” said Chairman Pai. “She is taking on this important responsibility at a critical time for the BDAC as the Harmonization working group resolves differences between the State Model Code and Municipal Model Code to ensure that the model codes are harmonized with each other and with the BDAC’s prior recommendations. I know Danna will do a great job.”
He also appointed BDAC member David Young to serve as Vice Chair of the BDAC.
Border to Border Broadband: Transforming Minnesota Oct 23-24
Join policymakers, economic and community development professionals and community broadband champions from across the state for this annual opportunity to learn, connect and engage. https://wp.me/p3if7-4E8
Is CAF 2 A Good Investment?
The Blandin Foundation releases a report on the networks being built with federal funding (CAF 2) given to large, price cap carriers in Minnesota. Based on field reports, many areas served will not have access to meet state speed goals of 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up even after the investment. https://wp.me/p3if7-4E2 https://wp.me/p3if7-4Eh
Learn more at a webinar on Thursday, July 19 from 3-4pm: “Leveraging CAF II Dollars to Bring World-Class Broadband to your Community” https://wp.me/P3if7-300
Are the Federal broadband maps accurate?
Trade publication, New Food Economy, questions the accuracy and validity of the federal broadband maps, which are instrumental in determining policies and subsidies used to expand broadband access. https://wp.me/p3if7-4Ed
Helping Kids without Broadband
Consortium for School Networking releases a toolkit to help close the homework gaps for kids without broadband. https://wp.me/p3if7-4Eb
National Broadband Listening Sessions Start in Minnesota
Farm Foundation, NTCA, CoBank, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp. and USDA held a broadband listening session in Faribault. Minnesota was posited as a model state for supporting rural broadband. Attendees asked questions about CAF 2 funding. https://wp.me/p3if7-4E0 https://wp.me/p3if7-4E4
Daily Yonder features Blandin Case Study
The Daily Yonder features the Blandin’s Case Studies Measuring the Impact of Broadband in Five Minnesota Communities and the formulas used to factor the community return on public investment of broadband. https://wp.me/p3if7-4Dm
Federal Policies – actions and notes
Provider News
Local Broadband News
Crookston
Representative Kiel and Senator Johnson talk about broadband and upcoming listening sessions https://wp.me/p3if7-4Ds
Ely
Ely uses first fiber connection to connect a coworking space https://wp.me/p3if7-4DD
Gibbon
Gibbon celebrates their FTTH connectivity with a new 3D printer on Main Street https://wp.me/p3if7-4DY
Granite Falls
Granite Falls is host to a statewide planning session where broadband becomes a table topic https://wp.me/p3if7-4Ef https://wp.me/p3if7-4DV
Lake County
NBC draws from Lake County for story of broadband success and cites recent Blandin report https://wp.me/p3if7-4DH
Lake Park
Lake Park citizens tell Senators Utke and Green that they want better broadband and ask about Net Neutrality https://wp.me/p3if7-4DL
Minnetrista
Frustrated citizen in Minnetrista wonders why the city doesn’t have broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-4DT
Northwestern Minnesota
AT&T is investing in northwestern Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-4DR
Rock County
Rock County is selected as a Blandin Broadband Community https://wp.me/p3if7-4El
St Paul / Minneapolis
The NDIA ranks worst connected cities: St Paul is #74 and Minneapolis #120 https://wp.me/p3if7-4Dz
Outside News Related to MN
North Carolina
North Carolina sees Minnesota broadband plan as model https://wp.me/p3if7-4Dk
West Virginia
West Virginia is looking to Minnesota (Blandin) research report for path for better broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-4DJ
Wisconsin
Lack of rural broadband is hurting business – reprinted letter from Inter-County Leader https://wp.me/p3if7-4DN
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
We are looking to add MN broadband-related events to the Blandin on Broadband blog calendar. https://wp.me/P3if7-4yG If you have an event you’d like to add please send it to atreacy@treacyinfo.com
Stirring the Pot – by Bill Coleman
On Minnesota’s broadband maps, far too much of greater Minnesota is still unserved. If you zoom into the map, however, you will see that most towns are considered served, with 100 Mb/20 Mb service available, areas outside cities and towns are not. Many communities have three wired providers for businesses and key community institutions or community-wide. That is good news.
In pre-Internet days, I managed the state’s business retention and expansion (BRE) program; training and assisting community teams to interview businesses, identify key issues and provide assistance to spur growth of investment and employment. Today, tech use would be a key BRE element, not only for businesses, but also checking up on chambers of commerce, schools, health care providers and local governments. As people make decisions on where to live and invest, a town lacking in apparent tech savvy will lose out to places with a tech edge.
For many towns, lack of broadband service can no longer be an excuse for not keeping up with tech trends. Seek out partnerships to promote available broadband and tech support services. Convene institutional leaders to create and pursue a shared vision of tech adoption, for tech-based economic development leadership. If broadband access is still an issue, due to capacity, price and/or reliability, use these same leaders to work intensively on this issue as well as utilization.
Need to know how to get started? Blandin’s recent case study on broadband ROI https://tinyurl.com/yafjlu9r is a rich resource illustrating what five smart communities are doing to promote a tech workforce and organizational innovation. They are successfully branding themselves as high tech rural places. These efforts are increasingly inclusive and sustainable. The Intelligent Community Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org) has a treasure trove of information on the global competition for people and investment.
My advice: Follow suit or get left behind!
I plan to be there and take notes.
Governor’s Task Force on Broadband
July 10, 2018
State Capitol, Room 316
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
St Paul, MN 55155
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
The Worthington Globe reports…
Blandin Foundation announced Friday that Rock County leaders were successful in their application to become a Blandin Broadband Community, one of four selected in the state.
The Blandin Broadband Communities program is an intensive, two-year partnership between Blandin Foundation and selected rural Minnesota communities. The program provides planning, technical and financial support to communities that are determined to design and drive digital technology initiatives that position their communities and every resident for greater success.
Rock County will join Swift County, Cannon Falls and Koochiching Technology Initiative in the 2018-20 cohort of Blandin Broadband Communities.
“High-speed Internet access — and the skills to use it — is essential to vibrant rural communities,” said Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and engagement. “We’re excited to partner with Rock County to imagine new possibilities that come with enhanced Internet access and use.”