Broadband is a hot topic. Normally the Blandin on Broadband blog publishes around 50 articles monthly. Between March and April, there have been 250 articles. Subsequently, we have tried to organize posts to make it easier to take in the increase in information; starting with highlights:

The Minnesota Legislature is looking at increasing funding for broadband in the form of a one-time $10 million increase in broadband grants, $8 for online education and $2 million for telehealth. It has passed in the Senate and is on the House Floor. The Federal government is also working funding for broadband. https://wp.me/p3if7-66c

The Blandin Foundation will be hosting weekly online roundtables for community leaders to learn, listen or share stories about community broadband. https://wp.me/p3if7-661 Want a sneak peek at what the sessions will be like? Check out the archive of the Broadband Leadership Webinar Series. https://wp.me/P3if7-651

State Policy Issues (in reverse chronological order)

• MN Senate Passes Bill to Boost Rural Broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-66c
• MN Rural Broadband Coalition Legislative Update: Senate Approves Broadband Funding – May 4, 2020 https://wp.me/p3if7-664
• MN House broadband bill rolled into HF1507 and moved to House Floor https://wp.me/p3if7-65h
• MN Rural Broadband Coalition Legislative Update: Broadband Funding – May 1, 2020 https://wp.me/p3if7-65q
• Mainstream media following broadband bills in MN Legislature https://wp.me/p3if7-64Q
• MN Senate moves broadband bill SF4494 out of Finance Committee to Senate Floor https://wp.me/p3if7-64H
• MN Broadband Task Force meeting April 2020: video notes on mapping, COVID and legislative updates https://wp.me/p3if7-64B
• Minnesota Media talking up the need for better broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-64v
• MN Broadband Bill HF3029 moves to Ways & Means in House https://wp.me/p3if7-64e
• Minnesota Rural Counties say fund broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-645
• MN Senators table a discussion on broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-642
• Update from MN Broadband Coalition: Broadband Funding Moving in Legislature https://wp.me/p3if7-62D
• Minnesota Rural Counties recognizes that rural MN needs broadband to survive coronavirus https://wp.me/p3if7-62t
• MN PUC decides that Feds have jurisdiction over Fond du Lac broadband company https://wp.me/p3if7-62h
• MN Bill SF4472 introduced April 16: modifies broadband grants to include 50% unserved – calls out “nonwired” solutions https://wp.me/p3if7-61V
• MN Legislature to discuss policies to facilitate online interactions but not ubiquitous infrastructure required to support it https://wp.me/p3if7-60Y
• Broadband is a rural issue highlighted during pandemic: Sen Westrom hopeful about legislative funding https://wp.me/p3if7-60A
• Pandemic shows that “access to high speed internet is … essential” in Minnesota https://wp.me/p3if7-60x

Federal Policy Issues (in reverse chronological order)

• House Democrats announce plan to connect all americans to affordable broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-65n
• ICANN Board withholds consent for a change of control .com top domain https://wp.me/p3if7-65e
• Sen Klobuchar at al urge FCC to coordinate with other Feds to tell low-income families they can get broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-64o
• Sen Klobuchar et al urge Administration to support funding so small broadband providers can sustain service for low-income families https://wp.me/p3if7-63n
• Broadband is part of Senator Klobuchar’s coronavirus relief plan https://wp.me/p3if7-62q
• A wake up call on the importance of broadband mapping from Doug Dawson https://wp.me/p3if7-60S
• Legislators push for $2 Billion for Broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZI
• US Rep Angie Craig voices support for better broadband at constituent listening session https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZF

Impact of COVID-19 on Education

• Teachers without broadband are working all hours in odd places https://wp.me/p3if7-65C
• Joe Nathan make recommendations for schools to combat pandemic challenges https://wp.me/p3if7-656
• Check up on how families are doing with distance learning https://wp.me/p3if7-64Y
• Pop quiz on Minnesota’s distance learning in pandemic https://wp.me/p3if7-63r
• U of M libraries move to online service took decadesand met both utopian and dystopian needs https://wp.me/p3if7-61v
• Addressing U of M students’ broadband needs is a top priority https://wp.me/p3if7-60P

Impact of COVID-19 on Heath Care

• Virtual doctor appointments are here to stay beyond pandemic https://wp.me/p3if7-65k
• What are the healthcare providers doing for COVID19? https://wp.me/p3if7-63V
• Telehealth transition requires training for patients, policy changes and a pandemic https://wp.me/p3if7-62e
• New bill requires insurance to cover telehealth services https://wp.me/p3if7-61I
• Online mental health services across state lines get easier https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZC

Impact of COVID-19 on Private Sector

• Nonprofits in rural areas suffer during coronavirus quarantine https://wp.me/p3if7-64E
• How many workers will stay remote after pandemic? https://wp.me/p3if7-634
• Rampant growth of remote work plows a path to rural communities https://wp.me/p3if7-631
• Setting up an arts business online https://wp.me/p3if7-62U
• What do MN arts groups need to survive coronavirus? Broadband makes the shortlist https://wp.me/p3if7-601
• Meetings in the Time of Coronavirus: Tips and Tricks of online meetings webinar archive https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZV

Vendor News

• CenturyLink Asks FCC for CAF Deadline Extension, Citing COVID-19 Issues https://wp.me/p3if7-667
• Fiber is a hot commodity right now https://wp.me/p3if7-65w
• Distance Learning During Quarantine: a presentation to MN CLE https://wp.me/p3if7-65t
• Mayo Clinic get $1 million for telehealth from FCC COVID-19 fund https://wp.me/p3if7-64N
• Frontier makes 400,000 ineligible for RDOF as they file for bankruptcy https://wp.me/p3if7-64y
• AT&T offers three months free phones for COVID frontline nurses and physicians on Some Good News https://wp.me/p3if7-63P
• Clearfield announces Home Deployment Kits to Streamline FTTH Ad minimize customer interaction in time of social distancing https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZL

Local Broadband News

Brainerd
Brainerd Dispatch says broadband is as basic today as plumbing and electricity https://wp.me/p3if7-64s

Duluth
Addiction Services in Duluth, Rochester and Twin Cities go online https://wp.me/p3if7-61F

Duluth News Tribune  says broadband is as basic as indoor plumbing and electricity were a century ago https://wp.me/p3if7-5ZO

AT&T expands 5G to Duluth, St Cloud and Le Sueur County https://wp.me/p3if7-62Y

East Grand Forks
East Grand Forks asks MN Legislature to invest in better broadband for rural areas https://wp.me/p3if7-62R

Hibbing
Broadband and technology allow Hibbing area senior citizens to “age in place” https://wp.me/p3if7-624

Iron Range
MN’s Iron Range school buses are integral part of the distance education network https://wp.me/p3if7-63Z

Paul Bunyan’s broadband is making life easier during coronavirus on the Iron Range https://wp.me/p3if7-62n

Iron Range restaurant “to go” website launches during COVID-19 https://wp.me/p3if7-628

Residents of the Iron Range testify to value of Paul Bunyan FTTH especially during pandemic https://wp.me/p3if7-60G

Minneapolis
High school graduation in Minneapolis moves to Facebook https://wp.me/p3if7-65z

Red Wing
Invest in America after Coronavirus? Tom Friedman suggest broadband and mentions Red Wing https://wp.me/p3if7-61n

Scandia
Scandia looks for another broadband expansion grant https://wp.me/p3if7-60D

Scott County
Broadband Communities highlights Scott County’s history of broadband partners https://wp.me/p3if7-60k

South Central MN
South Central MN looking to expand use of Telepresence during pandemic and beyond https://wp.me/p3if7-615

Spring Valley
Spring Valley MN teacher describes a day without adequate broadband https://wp.me/p3if7-63F

St Cloud
St Cloud VA may be largest provider of telehealth for Veterans in the country https://wp.me/p3if7-62b

St Louis County
Treehouse Broadband Needs $150,000 to bring fixed wireless to Morse https://wp.me/p3if7-61b

Live in St Louis County? Please take a minute for a broadband speed test! https://wp.me/p3if7-60h

St Paul
Center for Victims of Torture uses technology to support patients https://wp.me/p3if7-60s

Upcoming Events and Opportunities

• May 5: ACTcon: Advancement, Communications, Technology https://wp.me/p3if7-5Ll
• May 5: Student Experiences with Distance Learning – a conversation https://wp.me/p3if7-65F
• May 5: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• May 15: MHTA STEM Scholarship Application due https://wp.me/p3if7-62G
• May 12: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• May 19: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• May 26: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• June 2: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• June 9: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• June 16: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• June 23: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• June 30: Blandin Broadband Roundtables https://wp.me/p3if7-661
• OPPORTUNITY: MN Broadband Task Force looking for one more member https://wp.me/p3if7-61B
• OPPORTUNITY: Current and Former Frontier Customers May be Eligible for Rebates or Bill Credits – July 20 Deadline! https://wp.me/p3if7-61q

Stirring the Pot – by Bill Coleman

Community broadband leaders need to keep their eyes on the prize – broadband money!  “To the Victors belongs the Spoils.”  In Andrew Jackson’s day, that meant political patronage.  Today, the spoils are fiber optics!

In addition to the $20 million (with an additional $10 million in play) of Border to Border Broadband grant funds, there is a whopping $20 billion on the table via the FCC’s Rural Development Opportunity Fund (RDOF) coming in October.  Large areas of Minnesota are eligible for funding to be allocated via a reverse auction. https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/auction-904-preliminary-eligible-areas/

The state’s broadband fund is designed to give communities input on provider proposals.  A community can choose to support applications via a single letter of support, by rallying multiple letters of community support and/or by providing direct funding.  A community could choose to write a letter of protest to the state if the service to be delivered was deemed in adequate or if the funded project would be a barrier to future fiber infrastructure investment.

The RDOF program incents fiber providers but allows fixed wireless, DSL and even satellite.  While the RDOF program offers no formal role for community engagement, there are important ways for governments to influence the results.  The community need to find a provider who will bid and, preferably, someone ready to deploy fiber optics.    At a minimum, community broadband activists should be in contact with prospective providers to see if they plan to bid and with what technology in mind.  A community could also work with a provider to get adjacent areas deployed via some combination of state, local or provider funds.  Finally, documenting the demand for broadband will help a provider to appropriately bid for the RDOF funds.

The RDOF eligibility map is a patchwork based on claims of existing services by incumbent providers.  If a provider claims one house in a census block to be served with 25 Mb/3 Mb, the entire area is deemed served making them ineligible for RDOF.  CenturyLink and Frontier are now claiming thousands of census blocks as served taking them out of the program.

Communities should work with GIS mapping experts, either consultants or their own county planning staff, to see the impact of these new service claims and to test the reality of those claims.  While there is no formal way to refute the data, communities can act by working through state and federal staff and elected officials to ensure accuracy.

Clearly these RDOF dollars will have a huge influence on broadband deployment; I believe that what a community has for infrastructure and services for the next generation will be determined by this auction.  Don’t just sit and watch.  Make this program work for your area or suffer the long-term consequences.