FCC under reports unserved population
Broadband Now scrutinizes the FCC adoption rate estimates and finds that the FCC estimates 290,000 unserved in Minnesota and Broadband Now estimates 580,000. https://wp.me/p3if7-5NR

Two new tools look at state’s impact on broadband
Pew Research releases a report on state policies and plans that support better broadband deployment. Minnesota is featured as a leader in the report. https://wp.me/p3if7-5OC State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN) has created an interactive map of broadband plans and initiatives by state. https://wp.me/p3if7-5Nv

MN Broadband Task Force at Land O’Lakes
The MN Broadband Task Force met at Land O’Lakes where they heard about precision agriculture applications farmers are already using in the field, at least where they have sufficient broadband. https://wp.me/p3if7-5Nd

Blandin on Broadband is looking for stories
We are looking for broadband stories from rural Minnesota to feature on the Blandin on Broadband blog. If you have a story, please contact us at atreacy@treacyinfo.com https://wp.me/p3if7-5P7

State Policy Issues (in reverse chronological order of post date)

• Legislative Update from MN Broadband Coalition (Feb 29) https://wp.me/p3if7-5OJ
• Minnesota projected budget surplus grows to $1.5B https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ox
• MN Equity Blueprint is unveiled, including six broadband recommendations https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ou
• MN House Committee meets to discuss broadband bill HF3029 https://wp.me/p3if7-5Om
• Governor Walz clear on broadband support https://wp.me/p3if7-5Og
• Minnesota Broadband Coalition recommends $30 million for broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5Oa
• Broadband at Senate Committee on Ag, Rural Dev, and Housing Finance notes and video https://wp.me/p3if7-5NZ
• MN Legislature introduces bills related or relying on broadband (aside from state broadband grant bills) https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ns
• Rep Ecklund announces re-election, highlighting broadband work https://wp.me/p3if7-5Np
• Dakota Broadband Board talks about their strategic plans for broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5Nj
• Senator Smith talks housing and telehealth on reservations in Northern Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-5N4
• Broadband features on Minnesota Farmers Union Day on the Hill https://wp.me/p3if7-5N2
• Sen Klobuchar speaks on rural broadband and mentions Blandin Foundation https://wp.me/p3if7-5MP
• MN Legislature introduces bill to facilitate telemedicine for men https://wp.me/p3if7-5MA
• Senator Weber lists broadband as a continued priority for the Legislature https://wp.me/p3if7-5Mo
• Senators recommend $30 million more for broadband grants (SF3049) https://wp.me/p3if7-5Mj
• Land O’Lakes’ Beth Ford promotes broadband to Economic Club of Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-5M4
• MinnPost asks what MN Legislature can do in 2020? Expand broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5LZ
• State of Broadband Bill in MN House – Referred to Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division. https://wp.me/p3if7-5LW
• Senator Draheim talks about Broadband policy, both looking for more money for unserved and at truth in speeds https://wp.me/p3if7-5LT
• Dakota County Republicans talk about broadband with Annette Leeks https://wp.me/p3if7-5LN
• Affordable internet is increasing in most areas but not Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-5LH
• MN Farm Bureau makes broadband a top priority https://wp.me/p3if7-5LB
• Reps Ecklund, Layman, Sandstede, Lislegard, Lueck, Brand, Poston, Hamilton and Persell introduce MN broadband bill https://wp.me/p3if7-5L5

Federal Policy Issues (in reverse chronological order of post date)

• Senator Klobuchar’s rural broadband goal and Minnesota’s broadband model get nod from Virginia https://wp.me/p3if7-5OW
• Changes to Lifeline programs put onus on customer to reapply and may lead to lost access https://wp.me/p3if7-5OQ
• Pres Trump’s 2021 budget increases funds to rural broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5MW
• Concerns about Rural Digital Opportunity Fund because areas with state broadband grants ineligible https://wp.me/p3if7-5Mu
• S. Senators Smith, Rounds, Fischer & Baldwin host bipartisan rural working group meeting in Washington https://wp.me/p3if7-5Mr

Vendor News

• NEO software will help collect user input for better served/unserved maps https://wp.me/p3if7-5NV

Local Broadband News

Brown County
Update on Nuvera’s MN Broadband grant project in Southwest Brown County https://wp.me/p3if7-5OT

Cherry Township
CTC hosts open houses in Cherry Feb 27-28 to discuss new USDA supported network expansion https://wp.me/p3if7-5Od

Duluth
Duluth appreciates economic boon with rural broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5Lv

East Central MN
Broadband is transforming school thanks to groups like ECMECC that support the network https://wp.me/p3if7-5MT

Fillmore County
More on USDA ReConnect project with Harmony Telephone (Fillmore County) https://wp.me/p3if7-5LK

Hastings, Faribault, New Ulm, Buffalo, Cambridge and Minneapolis
Neonatal telemedicine comes to Hastings, Faribault, New Ulm, Buffalo, Cambridge and Minneapolis https://wp.me/p3if7-5NE

Iron Range
Iron Range 2020 predictions from 1998, includes technology plans https://wp.me/p3if7-5Pj

A look at broadband progress made and progress needed on the Iron Range https://wp.me/p3if7-5P0

Blandin Foundation funds Iron Range Tourism Bureau projects https://wp.me/p3if7-5MZ

Koochiching and St. Louis Counties
Update on Paul Bunyan’s MN Broadband Grant for portions of Koochiching and St. Louis Counties https://wp.me/p3if7-5O5

McIntosh
Broadband is a big part of the reinvention of McIntosh https://wp.me/p3if7-5P4

Red Wing
Red Wing Public Library now lending hotspots https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ls

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• March 12: Broadband Day on the Hill https://wp.me/p3if7-5Oj
• March 16: CoBank Broadband Symposium https://wp.me/p3if7-5HH
• April 7-9: Net Inclusion 2020 https://wp.me/p3if7-5Pf
• April 12: Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program application deadline https://wp.me/p3if7-5M7
• May 5: ACTcon: Advancement, Communications, Technology https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ll
• Opportunity: Job Posting: Broadband Grants Administrator Job for MN Office of Broadband Development https://wp.me/p3if7-5O2

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

Community broadband leadership is front and center for me right now, stimulated by a recent orientation session for five new Blandin Broadband Communities and the task of creating content for an upcoming Community Broadband Leadership Workshop.  To clarify my thinking on the topic I have been online reviewing definitions of leaders and leadership.  The lists are all well and good and include many admirable qualities.   In my experience, teams of leaders are significantly more effective in community broadband development than lone rangers.  We also know that on every leadership team, there are extraordinary individuals that are instrumental to the success of the group.

Ultimately, it all comes down to people who are willing to do the hard work to move their community forward.  Our community broadband leaders do the investigations and learning to understand the challenge, then recruit and inform others to the issue.  They convince organizations to devote resources for finding and funding solutions.  They devote the time to going door-to-door to boost community survey completion. They join regional and state efforts that may or may not pay dividends for the local effort.  They recognize others’ contributions to the effort.  As Edison said, “success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”

When meeting new community teams, I often try to anticipate who will step up into leadership.  I am often wrong and many times surprised.  Established community leadership needs to be open to these emerging leaders but that can be harder than it seems.  Some of the most effective leaders have no title or position or broadband expertise. You will recognize them over time – they show up, ask questions, volunteer for and complete tasks.

I was with one such leader this morning at

the Cherry Township hall where happy residents were signing up for new fiber to the home broadband service.  It was fun to see area residents shaking his hand and thanking him for his efforts while he deflected the praise onto others.  For a while my new favorite saying was that “every community needs a Kippy!” In retrospect, I think that every community already has one or more Kippy’s.  The leadership trick is to find them and allow them to serve your community.