Here’s the intro…

On Monday, November 22, at 2:00pm CT, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Broadband Caucus, will hold a call with community broadband advocates from Benton, Chisago, and Isanti Counties to discuss how the recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure bill will help expand broadband to rural Minnesota communities.

Klobuchar will be joined by Chisago Lakes Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Katie Malchow, Isanti County Administrator Julie Lines, and Benton County Commissioner Jared Gapinski, as well as Mary Magnuson, a broadband program administrator at the Blandin Foundation.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill included the largest investment our country has ever made in broadband infrastructure, with many provisions based on Klobuchar’s legislation with House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) to help bring high-speed internet to every corner of the country.

And my notes, which are bulleted to keep up. From Sen Klobuchar:

• Broadband coverage seems random at times
• Blandin was way ahead of its time in recognizing broadband issues in rural Minnesota and creating solutions
• Access to email isn’t enough anymore; students need to be able to take tests remotely and corporate/healthcare workers need to be able to consult remotely
• Problems: mapping, giving money to providers that have a history of not meeting needs
• Solutions: open access to funds to all providers and get money back from providers who don’t meet needs
• Make broadband affordable – average monthly cost in MN is $68/month

From Katie Malchow

• Broadband isn’t about politics, it’s about getting people connected
• We started out broadband journey working with Blandin Foundation
• We surveyed residents and found a disconnect between what providers said they offered and what consumers saw at home
• Not all providers are created equal and some have not met the needs of MN residents for a while now. Maybe it’s time to ask folks on the frontlines who they would choose.
• This is going to be a one-time investment, it’s spend it wisely.

From Jared Gapinski

• Started talking about broadband as community in Jan 2020 (he’s new to county commission) in Jan 2021 when they realized they have 600-700 hotspots in student home, which meant that many households were un/underserved
• They want to do a middle mile fiber project to get providers into the area
• He pays for 100/100 Mbps connection – but it tests at 30/11
• The community is stuck in RDOF/LTD limbo – waiting to hear from FCC is LTD got the contract
• We need time to plan and educate to make sure we spend money wisely.

From Julia Lines

• Broadband coverage is good in the cities but bad in the land between
• East Central Energy is (finally) talking to them about providing broadband
• The boundaries of cities/towns/counties are getting in our way
• MidCo is helping in the cities but not rural areas
• If we want people to relocate from the Cities to rural areas, we need to provide metro-quality broadband

From Mary Magnuson

• We worry about the Swiss cheese effect that leaves certain areas unserved and as others become better served those areas fall farther and farther behind
• RAMS is now hosting the MN state broadband speed test – available to everyone
• Local places need to have local buy in – especially when it comes to choosing providers in their communities