Gov Walz announces 2019 MN Broadband Grant awards
The Governor announces $23 million in broadband grants to Minnesota communities. He and Representative Ecklund also announce plans to recommend $30 million of one-off funding from the supplemental budget for next year’s grants. (Video online.) https://wp.me/p3if7-5J8 Get greater details https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ju

MN Broadband Task Force Jan 2020 Meeting Notes
The Minnesota Broadband Coalition asks the Task Force to send a letter to the Legislature supporting their recommendation for $30 million from the supplemental budget for more grants in 2020. (Full notes and video online.) https://wp.me/p3if7-5JH

Telehealth saves Lives in Rural Areas
A Mayo Clinic study finds Telehealth sharply reduces risk of death within 30 days. https://wp.me/p3if7-5Kq In Ohio, portable CT scanner and broadband buy precious minutes in stroke detection in rural areas. https://wp.me/p3if7-5Kj And beyond telemedicine, the industry is looking at tools to help with carers too. https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ir

2019 MN Broadband County profiles
Blandin Foundation has posted PDFs, maps and content from the 2019 profiles in user-friendly formats online. https://wp.me/p3if7-5IS

State Policy Issues

• Reps Ecklund, Layman, Sandstede, Lislegard, Lueck, Brand, Poston, Hamilton and Persell introduce MN broadband bill https://wp.me/p3if7-5L5
• Rep Lueck congratulates providers in his area with MN Broadband grant awards https://wp.me/p3if7-5K2
• Candidate Lewis reaches to rural voters through broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5K8
• Rep Kresha praises $23 million MN state broadband grants https://wp.me/p3if7-5JT
• Congressman Stauber puts broadband on his reelection plan https://wp.me/p3if7-5Jr

Federal Policy Issues

• Senators Smith and Klobuchar ask Transportation to look at rural priorities including broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5KQ
• House Hearing on Digital Equity Jan 29 https://wp.me/p3if7-5Kg
• FCC is looking at adding new speed tier – rural providers not thrilled https://wp.me/p3if7-5Jz
• Baller, Stokes & Lide unveil annual Federal Compliance Support Edition 2020 https://wp.me/p3if7-5Jo
• An investment in satellite is a Band-Aid, not a cure https://wp.me/p3if7-5Jf
• Minnesota has 134,000 locations eligible for FCC Phase I Rural Digital Opportunity Fund funding https://wp.me/p3if7-5IE
• Democrat Presidential candidates’ views on rural broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5IH
• Supply and demand for broadband in rural areas and what can help make the business case work: Gov Report https://wp.me/p3if7-5Io
• USTelecom advocates for slower upload broadband speeds for rural subsidies https://wp.me/p3if7-5HQ

Vendor News

• Frontier to file for bankruptcy in March https://wp.me/p3if7-5J5
• Broadband providers missing CAF milestones in Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-5J0
• USDA invests $11 million in Broadband for rural Minnesota and Iowa communities https://wp.me/p3if7-5IW
• Comcast agrees to pay MN customers $1.14 million in refunds https://wp.me/p3if7-5IB
• Senators urge FCC to prioritize rural broadband before 5G https://wp.me/p3if7-5If
• CenturyLink will pay nearly $9M in MN overcharge case https://wp.me/p3if7-5I0

Local Broadband News

Bemidji
Broadband is a bright idea that sets Bemidji apart https://wp.me/p3if7-5JW

Blue Earth County
Mankato Free Press reacts to Blue Earth County broadband feasibility study https://wp.me/p3if7-5I9

Blue Earth County’s broadband feasibility study outlines some tough costs https://wp.me/p3if7-5HX

Brainerd
Community celebrates $5.2 million in USDA funding in Brainerd https://wp.me/p3if7-5KN

Senators Klobuchar and Smith celebrate $5 million federal broadband funding in Brainerd https://wp.me/p3if7-5KK

Cambridge
Telehealth in Cambridge brings tech solutions to the neonatal ward https://wp.me/p3if7-5IK

Campbell
Senator Westrom talks to high school seniors in Campbell about broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ic

Douglas (and Stearns) Counties
MN Broadband Grants in Douglas and Stearns County https://wp.me/p3if7-5K5

Ely
Ely looks to local provider for next broadband grant opportunity https://wp.me/p3if7-5Kb

Fillmore County
USDA Reconnect: Harmony Telephone gets $5.4 million https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ku

Fond du Lac Reservation
MN Broadband Grants in Fond du Lac, Cloquet and Perch Lake https://wp.me/p3if7-5JQ

Houtson
MN Broadband grants in Houston MN https://wp.me/p3if7-5L2

Iron Range
CTC Receives $5.2 million from USDA to serve Cherry and Great Scott townships on the Iron Range https://wp.me/p3if7-5IN

Koochiching County
MN Broadband Grants in Koochiching County and a nod to Rep Ecklund https://wp.me/p3if7-5KH

Le Sueur County
MN Broadband Grants in Le Sueur County https://wp.me/p3if7-5JZ

Melrose
Gov Walz visits MN Broadband Grant recipient in Melrose https://wp.me/p3if7-5Kx

Rosemount
MN Broadband grants in Rosemount (Dakota County) https://wp.me/p3if7-5KT

Scandia
Broadband grants in Scandia where the broadband team wins Good Neighbor Award https://wp.me/p3if7-5KY

St Louis County
MN Broadband Grants in Rice Lake, Brown Lake and Ramey https://wp.me/p3if7-5JK

Swift County
Broadband in Swift County means Rick Molenaar lives local yet works out of San Francisco https://wp.me/p3if7-5I6

Wells
Candidate Bloomberg visits Wells MN – mentions investing in broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5I3

Winona (and Houston) Counties
MN Broadband Grants in Houston and Winona Counties https://wp.me/p3if7-5JN

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• Feb 10: 2020 Assistive Tech Challenge https://wp.me/p3if7-5GU
• Feb 18: MN Broadband Task Force meeting https://wp.me/p3if7-5Hc
• Feb 20: Igniting Our Regional Entrepreneurs (Red Wing) https://wp.me/p3if7-5KE
• Feb 27: Minnesota Equity Blueprint Launch (various locations) https://wp.me/p3if7-5Km
• March 12: Broadband Day on the Hill https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ih
• March 16: CoBank Broadband Symposium https://wp.me/p3if7-5HH
• OPPORTUNITY: Applications open for MN’s Telecommuter Forward! Community certification https://wp.me/p3if7-5J3
• OPPORTUNITY: Bush Foundation Ecosystem grants up to $300,000 https://wp.me/p3if7-5Il
• OPPORTUNITY: Help Wanted: GIS and Data Visualization Researcher for MuniNetworks https://wp.me/p3if7-5HT
• OPPORTUNITY: MHTA is looking for ACE Leader applications https://wp.me/p3if7-5HN
• OPPORTUNITY: USDA ReConnect program funding applications open https://wp.me/p3if7-5KA

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

Two of the three communities that participated in our Community Broadband Planning Charrette at the October 2018 Broadband Conference formed public-private partnerships that received significant state broadband grant awards announced last week.  That is a pretty good result just over one year.  Both Koochiching (w/Paul Bunyan) and Le Sueur (w/BevComm) Counties were at the very early stages of organizing their broadband efforts and their community teams spent two days with quality broadband consultants (great thanks to Cooperative Network Services and Finley Engineering, respectively) studying maps, analyzing survey results and discussing financing scenarios.  At the end of the conference, both teams understood what was possible and what local efforts would be necessary for a successful partnership.  With both Paul Bunyan and BevComm representatives at the conference, discussions commenced!

Our Blandin team has been discussing ways that we can help those who are either just beginning their broadband development efforts or those that still struggle to attract the state or federal funding necessary to implement a successful project.  We have some ideas.  If the broadband is deficient in your community or county and you think that there would be a team ready to work to solve this problem, please contact me to discuss your situation.  You can reach me at 651-491-2551 or bill@communitytechnologyadvisors.com.  You can also complete a short online form at the Community Broadband Resources Program description at www.broadband.blandinfoundation.org and we will contact you.