Monthly Archives: July 2019

Congrats to Nicole Griensewic Mickelson for ‘Friend of the CGMC’ award

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Earlier this week, I mentioned Rep Ecklund’s Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities award, which notes his work in broadband. Now I’m pleased to see community folks are getting recognition too – for their broadband efforts. Congratulations go out to Nicole Griensewic Mickelson on her award and hard work.

St. Peter Herald reports…

Region Nine Development Commission Executive Director Nicole Griensewic Mickelson received the “Friend of the CGMC” Award from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) July 25 during the Coalition’s three-day summer conference in Bemidji. The Friend of the CGMC Award recognizes individuals and organizations that have helped advance the interests of Greater Minnesota.

In addition to her role in helping to foster business and job growth in southern Minnesota through Region Nine, for the past two years Griensewic Mickelson has served as president of the Greater Minnesota Partnership (GMNP), the CGMC’s economic development-focused sister organization. She has proven to be a strong and effective leader on many issues that impact Greater Minnesota, including broadband expansion, workforce development and seeking out solutions to the child care crisis.

Beltrami County #1 in Minnesota for Access to Gigabit Internet Speeds

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Paul Bunyan just posted a press release about the awesome connectivity in Beltrami County. Glad for Beltrami, but I also like the idea of a provider or community marketing themselves with a press release on their broadband…

Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Office of Broadband recently released new broadband availability maps. Beltrami County is rated number one in wireline access to Internet speeds of up to a Gigabit per second (Gbps). 98.78% of Beltrami County now has access to those Gigabit speeds.

The map can be found online at https://mn.gov/deed/assets/county-gigabit-map_tcm1045-297681.pdf   It provides the perspective by county of where the most advanced Broadband networks exist providing the percentage of households served by wireline broadband service with at least 1 Gigabit speeds.  In contrast to Beltrami County, currently only 24.58% of the state has access to Gigabit Internet speeds.  There are nine counties where no Gigabit access exists at all.

“From the perspective of county government, we constantly have our eyes on setting ourselves up to be the best community in which to live, raise a family, to recreate, to be educated, and to work.  Every single one of those values is positively impacted by the availability of broadband.   Even better, for those of us that try to figure out how to cover the cost of so many public services, is the fact that county government did not have to make the investment.   Paul Bunyan Communications deserves a wealth of gratitude for their forward thinking investments that put Beltrami County on the map as the #1 county in the entire state when it comes to broadband coverage!  Thank you Paul Bunyan!” said Kay Mack, Beltrami County Administrator.

“The investments Paul Bunyan Communications has made in robust communications capacity are foundational and will serve this region for decades to come. Successful economic development and growth in the areas Paul Bunyan serves won’t face the bottleneck of not enough service that so many rural areas face every day. It has been an honor to play a role in helping to reach this fantastic milestone through the Border to Border Broadband Grant Program. Congratulations!” added Danna MacKenzie, Executive Director Office of Broadband, State of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

“It’s yet another exciting day for our cooperative who has been working so hard for so many years to upgrade and expand what is now one of the largest all-fiber optic rural gigabit networks in the country. The key to it all is our staff and Board of Directors.  We are very passionate about providing world class communication services and proud that Beltrami County is Minnesota’s best broadband county!” said Gary Johnson, Paul Bunyan Communications CEO.

According to DEED, the maps use data collected from broadband service providers, reviewed by a third party, and verified if questions are raised. Data is collected annually and the maps and data online are current as of April 2019.

“It’s a great feeling to know we are almost finished expanding and upgrading our all-fiber optic network in Beltrami County, but we are not done.  We have upgrades planned over the next two years in the rural Blackduck area.  Our cooperative continues to expand our network to regions that are still lacking broadband access including rural areas of North Central and Northeastern Minnesota,” added Steve Howard, Paul Bunyan Communications Information Technology and Development Manager.

Paul Bunyan Communications has the region’s largest and fastest all fiber optic network with over 5,500 square miles throughout most of Beltrami County and portions of Cass, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis Counties.  The Cooperative provides Broadband High Speed Internet Services including the GigaZone, digital and high definition television services, digital voice services, Residential and Business IT services, and is also northern Minnesota’s certified Apple Service Center.

Cable companies talk about bridging digital divide in rural areas

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Just the other day I was talking about the change in vernacular; 10 or more years ago we used to talk about penetration and take-rates, over the years that has shifted to digital inclusion. So it was interesting to see this article that goes back to the idea of using digital inclusion to garner customers. It’s a reminder of how to encourage providers to participate in digital inclusion efforts.

Multichannel reports…

Bridging the digital divide in small rural communities is still a top priority and one that can help operators drive sales growth even as video customers dwindle, a panel of top small cable CEOs said at The Independent Show’s Opening General Session.

“Providing that local connection, and not just driving the content of those customers, [is critical],” said Buckeye Broadband president and general manager Geoff Shook at the session titled Hot Topics, Cool Leaders. “Owning that relationship from the edge of the end user’s device all the way through the businesses.”

The same article talks about how providers can work with states like Minnesota to get support to build out…

For Schurz Communications, president and CEO Todd Schurz said one solution has been to partner with other providers in building out broadband networks. Schurz is currently working with local governments, using some state grants in Vermont and Minnesota, working with telephone co-ops in Iowa, electric co-ops in Minnesota, and Native American nations in Minnesota and Arizona.

EVENT ALERT Jul 31: House Agriculture Committee Rural Broadband Day of Action

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On Thursday, the FCC will consider proposals to improve broadband mapping and reform the commission’s rural health care program. To help them get thinking, the House Agriculture Committee will host Rural Broadband Day 2019 ­tomorrow. It will be a day to bring increased visibility to issues surrounding rural broadband, poor FCC mapping, and service availability.

Members of the House Agriculture Committee will use this day to highlight the impact rural broadband has on their districts and constituents, engaging with local government officials and stakeholders to examine the benefits of improved access to affordable, fast, and expanded broadband internet connectivity.

They are inviting people will rural broadband stories to join the conversation by using the hashtag #RuralBroadbandDay across social media platforms when they share stories.

You can follow @HouseAgDems on Twitter or #RuralBroadbandDay to see what’s happening.

Congrats Rep. Rob Ecklund for CGMC Legislator of Distinction Award

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I like to see communities and individuals get rewarded for working on better broadband for all. I thank Rep Ecklund for his work promoting rural broadband and congratulate him on his award. As he International Falls Journal reports…

State Rep. Rob Ecklund was recognized for his positive impact on economic development in Greater Minnesota by the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities July 25, during the coalition’s three-day summer conference in Bemidji.

Ecklund, DFL-International Falls, was presented with the Legislator of Distinction Award. The award is given to legislators who played key roles in advancing CGMC’s policy during the preceding legislative session. He is serving his third term in the Minnesota House.

And makes note of his work in broadband…

The release highlighted actions this session, including when he was instrumental in securing $40 million for the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program, which will help bring high-quality, reliable broadband to more households and businesses across the state. In addition, he was a strong supporter of local government aid and other top priorities for Greater Minnesota communities.

“Rep. Ecklund’s work on broadband will have an impact on Greater Minnesota for generations to come,” said Ron Johnson, a member of the Bemidji City Council and president of the CGMC. “Beyond his work on broadband, Rep. Ecklund has emerged as a leading voice for economic development in rural Minnesota and we know we can count on him in the years to come to look out for the growth and vitality of our rural communities.”

FCC Should Assess Making Off-School-Premises Access Eligible for Additional Federal Support

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Federal funding is the reason than so many schools and libraries have adequate access. It’s a boon to those communities. But there’s still a huge gap between students with access as home and students without it.

I have three kids. I work full time. I have lots of volunteer gigs. If I had to take them to the library to get homework done we would all be less productive citizens. So I was pleased to see the US Government Accountability Office ask the FCC to look at federal support for home broadband access for students.

Here’s their recommendation…

Recommendation: The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission should determine and execute a methodology for collecting and analyzing data—such as conducting a new pilot program regarding off-premises wireless access or analyzing other data—to assess the potential benefits, costs, and challenges of making off-premises wireless access eligible for E-rate program support, and publish the results of this analysis. (Recommendation 1)

More recommendations are promised once the that step is completed. They also post an easy chart that outlines the downsides of having to leave home for access.

Two Harbors business comes for fiber also gets tech support

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I met (by phone) Patrick Krekelberg when we were looking at the ROI of public investment in broadband. As I recall, he wanted to move to an area that was as remote as possible, yet still online. He landed in Two Harbors. He had just moved to the area when we spoke to him. He ran a business and home-schooled a few kids thanks to fiber.

The MHTA provides an update…

At a wooded homestead 10 miles north of Two Harbors, a morning jam session is underway. The man on guitar is Patrick Krekelberg, the CEO of two product and app development companies, Audiofile and Krekeltronics, which he runs out of the second floor loft above his garage. If it wasn’t for the fiber network put in by the county, Krekelberg wouldn’t have the high-speed internet access he needs to run his wilderness-based startups, let alone bring on interns to help him.

One of those interns is Rachael Platt, a senior studying computer information systems and music at the College of St. Scholastica. Platt’s putting both her major and minor to use by assisting Krekelberg with quality assurance (QA) testing, website reformation and mobile development for a music app.

Turns out the intern makes good use of broadband as well…

Platt has spent most of her internship working remotely, which has allowed her to hone her project and time management skills as well as what’s she learning in software development. Managing both is a balancing act that requires communication and independence.

It was nice to hear that Krekelberg had received some small business support as well…

While Platt is receiving hands-on industry experience in the outdoor setting that she loves, Krekelberg is getting the product development assistance that he needs as well. All this is made easier with additional entrepreneurial support through SciTechsperience, a state-funded internship program that helps startups and small businesses find and hire interns by reimbursing the employer for half their wages, up to $2,500 per student.

“The wage reimbursement is essential to the level of quality internships that we’re able to provide,” Krekelberg said, “It’s allowed us to equip Rachael with the mission critical equipment that she needs.”

 

The time is now for courageous action – from the Blandin Foundation

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I am pleased to share this letter from the Blandin Foundation. In my world, in the world of the Blandin Broadband team, diversity often comes down to served and unserved. I think many of us remember the old New Yorker cartoon with the dog by the computer and the caption – on the Internet no one knows you’re a dog. In many ways, the Internet has opened doors for many people. A quick change of your name, or just using initials and your gender, your ethnicity, many disabilities, religion and gender preferences can be obscured. But that doesn’t mean differences don’t exist and aren’t always appreciated, so again I’m pleased to share this message from Blandin president Kathy Annette.

Blandin Foundation has been standing alongside and investing in rural Minnesota leaders and communities for 78 years.  Over time, we have come to know this to be true: communities cannot be strong, healthy and vibrant unless they are working for, and safe for, all peoples.

Is your community?

Minnesota residents are facing changes and pressures today that test long-held assumptions and challenge us to forge new relationships.  Racism, hate and bigotry are alive in rural Minnesota, and must be met with hope, leadership and the firm belief that communities are stronger when they work for every resident.

Are you aware?

When Blandin Foundation surveyed rural Minnesotans this spring about who in their community faces discrimination, bias or harassment, most often named were those with a drug or mental health issue, transgender people and recent immigrants among many others.  They also overwhelmingly (by 82 percent) believe that people in their community are able to stand up to hate when they see it occur.

Minnesota’s rural residents are a hopeful bunch.  Blandin Foundation’s Rural Pulse survey (at www.ruralpulse.org), as well as our daily experiences, suggest that rural Minnesotans are optimistic about the future and believe they can make a difference in their communities.

Can you?  Do you?

The time is now.  To recognize racism and discrimination, to name and stop it when we see it.  To stand with those working to make our communities more welcoming.  To make sure that opportunity truly is available to all, that no one is living unseen in the shadows.  To recognize that our destinies are intertwined with those of neighbors.  To not let another hateful remark or act pass without addressing it.  To be courageous and curious.

Rural people, rural places are beautiful, resilient and resourceful.  Let’s not give our sense of community away, not on our watch.

We stand with you.

Dr. Kathleen Annette, president and CEO
Blandin Foundation

 

Could a MN-like political pragmatism get better broadband for all?

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The Alexandria Echo has an interesting theory about how we got stuff done in the last Minnesota Legislative sessions…

Minnesota is the only state in the union with a split Legislature and yet those two bodies were able to set aside their differences, find compromise and accomplish stuff.

One of the things they got done was broadband…

[Governor] Walz also touted a boost in Local Government Aid back to 2002 levels and more funding for rural broadband. Republicans were able to stop paid family and medical leave and quashed any attempt at gun control.

Results were decidedly centrist and, for the most part, without drama.

Wouldn’t it be nice if Congress could accomplish the same?

Marquart called Walz, {Senator] Gazelka and [Rep] Hortman “pragmatists.”

“We want to get the job done and we want to compromise,” [Rep] Marquart said. “That means sometimes you have to give up some of your base’s positions, and that’s leadership.”

EVENT ALERT Aug 2: CTEP AmeriCorps members showcase digital equity projects

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I’m so sad to be out of town for this event this year. It’s one of my favorites. If you’re around St Paul on Friday, you should try to make it…

Every year our CTEP AmeriCorps members choose civic engagement projects that make a contribution to bridging the digital divide. Please join us on Friday, August 2, 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.

The Saint Paul Neighborhood Network’s AmeriCorps program, the Community Technology Empowerment Project (CTEP) bridges the “digital divide” for immigrant communities, low-income residents and persons with disabilities in the Twin Cities. AmeriCorps members help youth and adults use technology to access social, civic, educational and economic opportunities.

PLEASE Register Here

Read more about what CTEP members did in their 2019 Civic Engagement Projects:

What’s Your Upload Speed: Understanding Internet Equity
Created an interactive presentation and organized community meetings to create awareness about unequal internet access in Minneapolis.

Ready Today: Prepared for Tomorrow
Facilitated adult readiness workshops for youth at the JK Movement integrating digital skills and community engagement.

CTEP Accessibility Project
Established an accessibility baseline for all CTEP sites and members to follow, so they can best serve clients and patrons who may suffer from disabilities that would otherwise impact their ability to work with a CTEP member.

Media Literacy with Twin Cities Youth
Partnered with four youth organizations around the Twin Cities to facilitate conversations on various online media categories and how to access their credibility.

Designing and Piloting a Curriculum for Northstar Assessments
Piloted a curriculum for adult learners that accompanies the Northstar assessments.

Mounds View Music 
Organized a music creation and production class for youth at Mounds View Area Learning Center.

Diversity and Inclusion in CTEP
Implemented short and long-term efforts to improve the diversity and inclusion framework, practices, and outcomes in the CTEP cohort.

Tech and Health Group
Ran a three-day workshop teaching media skills to youth at the Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (Science Museum of Minnesota).

Things they didn’t expect from the Internet in the 90s

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I started working with the Internet in 1995, maybe 1994. (I was 12 – or so.) I don’t know how I got into it; my MA in Irish Lit hardly made me qualified but I’m often thankful that I got lucky. Part of my luck was that both of my parents worked in computers and recognized early that the Internet was going to be big.

It’s fun to think back and what we thought would happen and what has really happened, so far. SO I particularly enjoyed Roger Cochetti’s article in in The Hill on what we failed to plan for in the 1990s. (I’m borrowing from Benton Foundation’s summary…

I worked with a fairly small group of early-stage internet policy wonks and helped create many of the basic rules that still govern the internet today. We missed a lot — a lot that turns out to have been important.

  • The internet as a major domain for war — Although the internet had its origins as an American war-fighting tool, no one imagined that it would evolve into a principal theater for warfare among national militaries and violent non-governmental groups.

  • The evolution of a small number of internet giants — Most of the Americans involved in early internet policy-making (there were no non-Americans) expected a huge growth of web-based services appealing to discreet market niches. Few, if any, foresaw the emergence of enormous, internet-based businesses that would globally aggregate the common interests of billions of people.

  • The disappearance of Online Service Providers (OSPs) — Sometimes called “walled gardens,” OSPs had the benefit of being tightly-controlled by their operators and thus able to offer security and content controls that were difficult or impossible on the open internet. Because OSPs were controlled by their operators, they offered an alternative policy environment, which today does not much exist.

  • The use of the internet to create billions of individual market profiles — The ability to create comprehensive digital profiles of hundreds of millions of consumers needed the convergence of the internet and advanced computer processing, which emerged around the end of the 1990s and can be found everywhere today. This has changed everything.

  • No one foresaw the near disappearance of travel agents, bicycle messenger services, book stores, CDs, classified advertising, postal letters, and much more.

But as much as we missed, through luck or prescience, we got a lot right.

EVENT ALERT Sep 12: Feeding Innovation in Greater Minnesota

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Looks like a great event. I plan to attend and will take notes/videos as I can…

Feeding Innovation in Greater Minnesota

 

Broadband-powered technology plays a critical role in spurring the competitiveness Minnesota’s Ag sector and Ag-dependent communities. Please join us at United Farmers Cooperative in Winthrop to learn about how broadband and Ag-technology will affect the future of Minnesota’s agricultural sector, and what our farmers and farming communities are doing to take advantage of these opportunities. Now more important than ever!

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Berdan Center
705 4th Street East
Winthrop, MN   55396

Register now!

 

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

8:00 am           Registration and Refreshments

9:00                 Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:30                 Keynote Presentation
Thom Petersen, MN Commissioner of Agriculture

10:00               Information as the Foundation for Agriculture
Cody Light, Director of IT/Marketing, AGCO

10:30               Break

10:45               Panel Discussion: Technology Trends on the Farm

  • Ryan Machenthun – Row Crops (Hutchinson)
  • Tim Jones – Christensen Farms (Sleepy Eye)
  • Dairy
  • Specialty Crops

11:15               Panel Discussion: New Opportunities for Connected Communities

  • Lory Young, Gaylord City Administrator – Gaylord medical school and other developments
  • Valerie Hsu, Stormy Creek Farm (New Ulm)
  • Dawn Hegland, Upper MN Valley RDC – Region 6W (Appleton)

 12:00 pm        Lunch
Presentation: “Green Seam – What is that all about?”
Sam Ziegler, Green Seam (Mankato)

12:45-1:30 and 1:30-2:15

Concurrent Sessions (Choose two of three to attend)

Session A
Broadband in Rural Areas – Case Studies

·       Jake Rieke – Ag producer perspective

·       Kevin Beyer, Farmers Cooperative – Broadband provider perspective

·       Vince Robinson – Pipestone County Case Study

·       Toby – Le Sueur County Case Study

·       Facilitated by: Bill Coleman, Community Technology Advisors
Session B
Ag Tech Workforce / Next Generation Skills

·       Rachel Sannerud – Local Grower/Young Farmers/Direct Ag Marketing (Milaca)

·       Dave Cone, CEO, Kahler Automation

·       Willy Mekeel, Geography, Physics, Agriculture Instructor, Riverland Community College
Session C
AGCO Precision Ag Education Trailer
Maximum capacity: 30

 

2:15                 Takeaways From the Day
Sam Ziegler, Green Seam

2:30                 Depart for UFC Brownton Fertilizer Facility

3:00-4:00        Tour of Fertilizer Facility and Chemical Warehouse emphasis on technology
Dave Eckhoff, UFC Agronomist

Refreshments and door prize drawing          

Libraries without Boundaries gets 20+ people in an Anoka County community to discuss library services

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I just left a very full room at Park Plaza Cooperative, a resident-owned manufactured home community in Fridley, where they were discussing what they’d like to see in the community for library services. The meeting included Libraries without Boundaries, Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker and State Librarian Jen Nelson, librarians from various Anoka County Libraries and of course local residents.

My table included Bonnie, retired from a doctor’s office, Cecelia who is three years old, her mom Tina, Victor, a librarian from a local branch library and my colleague Bernadine Joselyn. Plenty of people spoke English, some were more comfortable in Spanish, a table mate guestimated that half the community had internet access in their home. Another table mate had had access but found it too expensive, although she missed it.

We met in a new community center. A center design to withstand an F5 tornado!  And a place for local residents to hang out, during storms and sunny weather. The community center is bright and welcoming and a perfect place to become a library space – or a library without a boundary. (I wrote about another Libraries without Boundaries project last year when they put computer kiosks and wifi in laundromats.) And that’s what we discussed – what would people like to see in the space and what services do they need.

Immediately people went for ideas for kids. Kids need a place and computers to do homework. English Language Learners could use language support and even for kids who speak English but whose parents might not, they could use support in school. Kids need a place to get books.

Soon ideas spread to other ages. People need access to computers to get jobs. Maybe mobile broadband hotspots to check out to work from home. Access to devices and training – on computers and other topics.

Now the librarians are going to take these ideas and come up with some recommendations. I love this process. Each community has different library service needs. And while a brick and mortar library is great – we now have the ability to bring so many services beyond the building – outside of people, computers and broadband access. It’s great to tailor the needs to the community – and to meet people where they are.

Libraries without Boundaries will be having a similar meeting in Rochester tomorrow. I’ll be keeping an eye for opportunities in the future. Libraries and librarians (with and without boundaries) can be the magic glue to a community digital equity plan!

OPPORTUNITY: Job Opening – Operations Manager, FDL Communications, Full Time

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While I’ve never been an employee at Fond du Lac, I have worked there and I think it’s a great place. The people are nice, the setting is gorgeous. So this could be a great position for the right person…

Title: Operations Manager, FDL Communications, Full Time
Location: FDL Tribal Center
Supervisor: Tribal Enterprises Executive Director
Closing Date: August 9, 2019

 

General Summary:

The Operations Lead/Supervisor/Manager is responsible for Fond du Lac Communications Fiber to the Home (FTTH) telecommunications and technology operations, initiatives and project management. The Operations Manager plays an integral role in the FTTH support, technology and future growth.

Position Responsibilities:

Role

  • Plans, organizes, and directs the implementation and support of the fiber to the home telecommunications and technology operations and related projects.
  • Directs management and support for telecommunication and technology operational areas and assigned resources. These areas include: sales, marketing, customer service, billing, inside and outside plant maintenance and operations, network support, and subscriber services.
  • Supervise, hire, train, and evaluate telecommunications staff to ensure seamless execution of departmental policies, procedures and customer satisfaction.
  • Performs within the parameters set by RBC authority including mission, policies, planning, budgets and executive management.
  • Performs and assists with project management as requested or assigned.

Read more.

EVENT ALERT Aug 8: Minnesota Broadband Coalition Meeting

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I know they are always looking for new members and I think most of the meeting is open to non-members too…

Next Minnesota Broadband Coalition Meeting:

Thursday, August 8, 2019
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
League of MN Cities – Boardroom
145 University Avenue West – St. Paul, MN 55103

Conference Call Option: 1-866-755-7677
Participant Code: 591645
Agenda:
Introductions
Office of Broadband Development Updates – Border to Border Grant
Governor’s Task Force Update
Legislative Updates
Blandin Border-to-Border Broadband Conference
Financial Report
Next Meeting Date
RSVP for this meeting by email