Oct 8-10 – MN Fall BB Conference – Innovation: Putting Broadband to Work
This three-day conference at the beautiful Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN will offer learning and engagement on many aspects of the challenges and benefits of broadband access and use, from “Pursuing Broadband 101,” to digital inclusion tools and strategies for diverse audiences. https://wp.me/p3if7-52i  Check out the agenda. https://wp.me/p3if7-5bn Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities are available https://wp.me/p3if7-599. 

Intelligent Community Forum Applications
The Blandin Foundation held regional meetings to encourage communities to apply to become Intelligent Communities. https://wp.me/p3if7-5cm ICF publishes research based on the data provided by communities like yours around the world. The goal is to provide cities, towns and regions of all sizes with evidence-based guidance on achieving economic, social and cultural growth in the challenging digital age. Learn more to consider your community’s options.

Minnesota policy front…

• Congrats to Red Wing Ignite’s Neela Mollgaard on moving to Launch Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-5dt
• DEED Commissioner Grove promotes broadband for better local economy https://wp.me/p3if7-5da
• FCC says $28.5 million will go for rural broadband in MN https://wp.me/p3if7-5cT
• Minnesota Broadband Coalition will be seeking more funding for grants https://wp.me/p3if7-5cg

And national policy front…

• FCC authorizes $4.9 billion in A-CAM – $569 million in MN https://wp.me/p3if7-5e0
• Policymakers meet in Cedar Rapids to discuss broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5dP
• Senators Franken and Heitkamp talk about rural America – including rural broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5dy
• State of Broadband: better but not good enough https://wp.me/p3if7-5dd
• Fast-Tracking the T-Mobile and Sprint Merger Undermines Public Interest https://wp.me/p3if7-5dg
• Elizabeth Warren announces broadband plan https://wp.me/p3if7-5ca
• Klobuchar introduces Legislation to crack down on monopolies that violate antitrust law https://wp.me/p3if7-5bU
• Senator Tina Smith talks about how broadband helps moms https://wp.me/p3if7-5bF

Vendor News

• Timberjay asks MN PUC to reconsider Frontier settlement https://wp.me/p3if7-5eS
• Comcast announces largest ever expansion of Internet essentials program to reach all low-income Americans https://wp.me/p3if7-5c5
• Paul Bunyan Communications returns over $2.8 million member’s share in cooperative’s Success https://wp.me/p3if7-5bP

Local Broadband News

Minnesota (Statewide)
Minnesota Broadband Grants by County and Tribal Area https://wp.me/p3if7-5eV

Minnesota ranks 17th on international prosperity chart https://wp.me/p3if7-5cs

Beltrami
Beltrami County is getting attention for having awesome broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5cG

East (Iron) Range
East Range Communities of Aurora, Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes and Town of White talk about their broadband adoption projects https://wp.me/p3if7-5ei

Franconia
Franconia is working on getting better broadband with an impressive community input proposal https://wp.me/p3if7-5ea

Freeborn County
Freeborn County receives almost $2 million in FCC funding https://wp.me/p3if7-5dj

Houston
Houston County approve $75,000 revolving loan for Border to Border grant application https://wp.me/p3if7-5dX

Iron Range
Laurentian Chamber Strut Your Strut Tour: working on access building a taste for innovation https://wp.me/p3if7-5en

Iron Range Tourism struts their broadband stuff: putting local art on the map and more https://wp.me/p3if7-5eO

Koochiching County
Paul Bunyan is applying for MN grant to better serve Koochiching County https://wp.me/p3if7-5eK

Koochiching Tech Initiative talks about their broadband adoption, such as a cool new coworking space and more https://wp.me/p3if7-5eq

Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County helps Bevcomm prepare for MN broadband grant application https://wp.me/p3if7-5dB

Maple Grove
Telehealth is a great option for kids in college https://wp.me/p3if7-5e7

Mower County
Mower County votes on supporting rural broadband project https://wp.me/p3if7-5ex

Stearns County
Stearns County receives FCC funding https://wp.me/p3if7-5d3

Tower
Tower talks about broadband adoption projects, including feasibility study, projects in the schools and more https://wp.me/p3if7-5eB

Twin Cities
Telehealth and regular face-to-face visits bring orthopedic care from the Twin Cities to Nebraska kids https://wp.me/p3if7-5cZ

Yellow Medicine County
Yellow Medicine County receives FCC funding https://wp.me/p3if7-5d6

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Sep 6: Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities https://wp.me/p3if7-574
• Sep 12: Feeding Innovation in Greater Minnesota (Winthrop) https://wp.me/p3if7-5au
• Sep 12: Making Good Use of Our Internet Viewings https://wp.me/p3if7-59U
• Sep 13-14: How to start a coworking space in your community https://wp.me/p3if7-5dE
• Sep 19: The Digital Revolution and the State https://wp.me/p3if7-5ee
• Sep 23: Applications due for Intelligent Community Award https://wp.me/p3if7-5a8
• Sep 30, 2019: Deadline for RUS Broadband Program applications https://wp.me/p3if7-4RF
• Sep 30: Become a mobile hotspot lending pilot for Mobile Beacon https://wp.me/p3if7-5cW
• Sep 23-24: Internet2 Third National Research Platform Workshop https://wp.me/p3if7-55s
• Oct 8-10: Innovation: Putting Broadband to Work (Nisswa, MN) https://wp.me/p3if7-52i
• Applications Now Open for Next Century Cities Advisory Board (deadline Sep 20) https://wp.me/p3if7-5dH

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

Minnesota’s communities are full of great citizen volunteers working to improve both broadband access and use as an essential component of community vitality.  In every community that I visit, there is one or more volunteers putting in hundreds of hours for the betterment of their community. Through their efforts, schools and community centers become more active technology centers, broadband demand surveys are collected via online, mail and door-to-door surveys and elected officials learn that broadband investment is smart investment.

I doubt that many local folks know the depth of commitment and level of effort required to move these broadband projects forward.  While many of these folks do not have an official title, I think that they are heroes!  You have my admiration!