Monthly Archives: July 2022

Telehealth visits a boon to vets with opioid addiction

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It’s hard to compare the last two years with anything before, given the impact of COVID but even given that difference (or maybe because of it) the stats on veterans in recovery and their use of technology. Southern Minn reports…

There are many obstacles to opioid addiction treatment, but a new study shows one that one outgrowth of the COVID pandemic — telehealth — is enabling more U.S. veterans to get help.

Researchers examined care given to vets before and after a transition to telehealth visits in early 2020 for treatment of their opioid use disorder. Telehealth for patients receiving the prescription drug buphrenorphine to treat opioid dependence was relatively new in the Veterans Affairs health system before the pandemic, said lead author Dr. Allison Lin.

“The rapid switch to virtual visits for most patients kept people from dropping out of care, and telephone visits [also] played a key role,” said Lin, an addiction psychiatrist at the Ann Arbor VA in Michigan and investigator at the VA Center for Clinical Management Research.

In 2020, phone appointments significantly outnumbered video and in-person visits, the study found. Even in early 2021, phone visits made up 50% of monthly visits for vets using buprenorphine; video visits, 32%; and in-person care, 17%.

Compared to March 2019, on a monthly basis there was a 14% increase in number of vets receiving buphrenorphine treatment in February of last year. Over that same period, 6% fewer vets overall received any kind of addiction treatment.

OPPORTUNITY: Sherburne County to invest $1.5 million ARPA funds into better broadband

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KSNI radio St Cloud reports…

A $1.5 million grant program for broadband service expansion in Sherburne County has been approved.

Sherburne County Commissioners approved the money, which will come from American Rescue Plan Act Funding, to help bring affordable, reliable, high-speed internet service to more homes and businesses. The grants will be awarded for eligible projects that meet or exceed certain upload and download speeds.

“Investing in broadband is a County Board priority that creates opportunities to boost growth and prosperity throughout Sherburne County,” said Board Chair Barbara Burandt.

Applications will be accepted through September 30th.

Learn more by clicking here.

Mower County looking at using RODF, ARPA and Border to Border funds to improve broadband access

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Gov Tech reports on Mower County’s plans for better broadband. It reads like alphabet soup with a mix of RDOF, ARPA and BTB funds, which is both of sign of the complexity and availability of various funding sources right now. If you’re community needs better access and they aren’t looking into options like these you should ask why. There’s a lot of money being invested right now but that won’t go on forever…

During the Mower County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, County Administrator Trish Harren laid out where the county currently stands in getting better broadband Internet coverage for the county.

As of last year, nearly 85% of the county’s residents had access to broadband, but that access is mostly condensed to high population densities, which includes Austin and small town areas.

More detail…

While 85% of the population is served, however, nearly 90% of the geographical makeup of Mower remains underserved.
That leaves large swaths of the county with either spotty coverage or no coverage at all.
However, a pair of funding opportunities are allowing the county some flexibility in terms of filling out that coverage.
Through the Federal Communications Commission’s based Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) and Minnesota Border to Border (BTB) grants, Mower County is hoping to spread that access even further.
The RDOF uses an auction format where the winner of a reverse bidding process agrees to build out for a certain amount of money. In Mower County, LTD Communications was a top 10 bidder at $1.3 billion. They are also the largest provider in this area. Charter Communications had a bid of $1.2 billion
BTB runs through a grant process with a well of $95 billion to draw from in grant money. Grant applications for that program are due by Aug. 4.

And info on specific, proposed projects…

The northeast LTD project would come in at an estimated $2.45 million and would lay 82 miles of fiber over an area north of Grand Meadow and stretching east to parts surrounding Racine. It would also include 376 passings, or physical locations where residences and businesses would hardwire into the fiber network.
The southwest project would lay 138 miles of fiber with 209 passings at an estimated cost of $3.5 million over an area south of Austin and stretching east to the Rose Creek area.
Charter will also be part of this BTB project, serving an area to the south of Austin where LTD doesn’t serve. Its side of the overall project will include 99 passings coming in at around $677,000.
In order to form a partnership with projects coming out of the RDOF and the BTB programs, the county has agreed to set aside $750,000 in ARPA money of which $585,000 will be committed to the LTD projects and $99,000 will be committed to the Charter project.

Doug Dawson on why we need to see broadband grant applications

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Doug Dawson is on the frontlines of building broadband; he understands funding and policy from the most pragmatic perspective. Hence, his call to make broadband grant applications public …

Most broadband grant programs do not publish open grant applications for the public to see. But we are in a time when an ISP that is awarded funding for bringing a new broadband network is likely to become the near-monopoly ISP in a rural area for a decade or two to come. The public ought to get to see who is proposing to bring them broadband so that these decisions are not made behind closed doors.

He gives a specific example, but I think in Minnesota one that comes to mind is LTD Broadband. They applied for RDOF grants. They won the sole opportunity to submit long for applications. Nearly two years later, the funds have not yet been awarded and the proposed communities have bee stuck in a limbo where nothing else has been happening to improve their situation. Some of the communities (notably Le Sueur County) has questioned the ability of LTD to provide the service they claim to be able to achieve for the price; Le Sueur has done feasibility studies and their costs were much higher than LTD’s. Now maybe LTD has a new way or maybe they have been too optimistic in bidding. But before the money is awarded would be a good time to know what’s happening.

But as Doug, says it’s not about the specifics, it’s about the process and a possible early warning system and planning for the future…

The point of today’s blog is that allowing the public to see grant requests can prompt interesting observations and questions like the ones sent to me. Certainly, not all public input will be valid, but there can be issues raised by the public that a grant office might not otherwise hear.

I’m a terrible shopper. I don’t try on the dress before I buy. Every 6 months, I come home with single-ply toilet paper because I forgot to read the small print. But when we are spending real money – as we are with these tax-backed grants, I take the time. Broadband is integral to education, healthcare and economic development. We need to be good shoppers or communities will suffer the consequences for generations.

Letting the public see grant requests is also a way to fact-check ISPs. Most states will tell you that the folks reviewing broadband grants often don’t have a lot of experience with the inner workings of ISPs. This means that it is easy for an ISP to snow a grant reviewer with misleading statements that an experienced reviewer would catch immediately. ISPs will be less likely to make misleading claims if they think the public will call them out and threaten the chances of winning the grant.

I know that publishing grant requests can open a whole new can of worms and extra work for a grant office. But I think the extra public scrutiny is healthy. I would think a grant office would want to know if false or misleading claims are made in a grant request. On the flip side, a grant office will benefit by knowing if the public strongly supports a grant request. Shining light on the grant process should be overall a positive thing. It’s a good check against awarding grants that aren’t deserved. But it’s also a way to make sure that grant offices are being fair when picking winners.

Governor Walz’s 10-year Economic Expansion Plan includes broadband

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Yesterday Governor Walz reported…

Governor Tim Walz today announced a ten-year economic expansion plan at Wyoming Machine in Stacy, Minnesota. The Governor’s Council on Economic Expansion today released the 28-page report, titled “Minnesota’s Moment: A Roadmap for Economic Expansion,” which offers long-term steps to continue improving Minnesota’s economy.

One of the Actionable strategies is broadband…

Achieve equitable access to affordable broadband Internet

Here’s more info…

Achieve equitable access to affordable broadband Internet
Ensure every child has access to the Internet, appropriate hardware, training and online learning.
Provide affordable access to broadband Internet, appropriate hardware, and training for every person in Minnesota to expand digital equity and access to government services, health care, jobs, community resources, and social connection.
Drive economic competitiveness for Minnesota and enable communities throughout the State to attract and retain residents and businesses by providing affordable broadband access.

And

COMMIT TO INFRASTRUCTURE – IF MINNESOTA’S COMMITMENTS TO INFRASTRUCTURE ARE SUCCESSFUL, IN 10 YEARS WE WILL SEE:
All Minnesota businesses and households have access to high-speed broadband Internet
Increased home ownership, particularly by those who have historically faced disparity gaps
Decrease the percentage of Minnesotans who are cost-burdened with their housing
Minnesota nationally recognized as a transportation leader that supports the workforce

 

EVENT Aug 9-11: Free, virtual Digital Divide Forum

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Fierce Technology is hosting a Digital Divide Forum. Here are the daily agendas…

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9
11:00AM-12:30PM ET:
CONNECTIVITY, AFFORDABILITY & INCUMBENT SUPPLIERS – UNDERSTANDING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN AMERICA AND WHY IT EXISTS
11:00AM-11:15AM: Keynote
11:15AM-11:30AM: Partner Keynote
11:30AM-12:15PM: Panel Discussion
12:15PM-12:30PM: Closing Partner Keynote
The US Digital Divide reflects more than those without broadband access. It lends itself to, and exacerbates, existing social and economic inequalities. This was made apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which it was estimated the Brookings Institute estimated that 52% of low-income families had no broadband access at all. Additionally, the same study reported that 22% of rural college and 13% of K-12 students were without access cutting them off from learning-from-home. Closing the digital divide is essential to ensure equal opportunity for all members of society. However, in order to close the divide, we first must question why it exists in the first place. From an ROI perspective, the infrastructural costs of laying and maintaining extensive fiber & wireless networks to communities with low population density often proves unprofitable without external financial incentives. In addition, rural communities where such networks do exist often have a low uptake due to high end-user costs. How can CSPs use funding from The Infrastructure Act to construct networks in the “last-mile”? How can end users take advantage of schemes such as Affordable Connectivity & E-Rate to make access more affordable?
AGENDA
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9
2:00PM-3:15PM ET:
BRINGING BROADBAND TO RURAL COMMUNITIES: ECONOMICS, PARTNERSHIPS AND BEYOND
2:00PM-2:15PM: Keynote
2:15PM-2:30PM: Partner Keynote
2:30PM-3:15PM: Panel Discussion
Whilst the intention to bridge the digital divide is there within our industry, the cost barrier remains high. For example, fiber is an attractive option given its high speeds, lower latency and high reliability compared to alternatives. However, the laying of fiber networks is a considerable financial burden, and although federal funding will help, building out into communities with low population densities often drives supplier incumbency. With this in mind, how can we explore ways to incentivize incumbent suppliers to invest in rural communities? To apply for federal funding from the State, communities must first ensure they meet the requirements for application, including having a broadband committee, potential suppliers in mind and a fully costed plan. However, federal funds alone may not be sufficient for all remote communities. What else can the community do in demonstrating to incumbent suppliers that their region is worth the investment? Could community ownership of fiber lines offer a solution, taking away the maintenance burden from the supplier? Could public/private partnerships be the answer to convincing suppliers to build out into rural communities? Can property taxes and revenue bonds be used to change the affordability landscape?
AGENDA
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10
11:00AM-12:15PM ET:
PROVIDING ACCESS – 5G & FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS – IS THE SOLUTION RIGHT IN FRONT OF US?
11:00AM-11:15AM: Keynote
11:15AM-11:30AM: Partner Keynote
11:30AM-12:15PM: Panel Discussion
Bridging the digital divide is often considered to be in the realm of emerging technologies, but is the solution already established? Fixed Wireless Access is hardly a new concept, but with ranges covering a 30km radius coupled with their cheap infrastructural costs compared to fiber, could this be the quickest and most cost-effective solution to connect rural communities? FWA promises not only to connect rural homes, but it is a viable option to connect rural businesses. The 5G rollout is only poised to enhance its capabilities, bringing more use cases such as mobile precision agriculture and telehealth more accessible to rural businesses. However, what are the best conditions to deploy a Fixed Wireless Network? What geographical considerations need to be considered before a network can be built. What is the best spectrum for FWA and how do we determine if it is the best solution for a given community?
AGENDA
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11
11:00AM-11:15AM ET:
MIND THE SECURITY GAP – DDoS PROTECTION FOR RURAL BROADBAND
The pandemic has ignited a significant rise in cyberthreats of all types – from robocalls to SMS fraud, phishing attacks, ransomware, DDoS and state-sponsored cyber-attacks, often targeting the most vulnerable residence and the most critical community services.
Communities in rural areas are especially vulnerable to DDoS due to the lack of security investment and expertise, the fragmented ecosystem and the vulnerability of the scarce community resources, such as healthcare, that are favorite targets for attackers.
The “cybersecurity gap” is a growing chasm between cybercriminals capabilities and the limited resources of service providers now charged with extending essential broadband connectivity. DDoS protection of service provider infrastructure including carrier grade networking and IPv4 address pools, is needed for ensure service availability for residents, businesses and critical public services.
This keynote from A10 share insights on the growing bank of DDoS weapons used by cybercriminals and provide concrete recommendations on critical investments in DDoS protection that should be made concurrently with their fiber and fixed wireless buildouts.

Research shows telehealth helps with prenatal and maternal care

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The Grand Rapids Herald (via HealthDay News) reports…

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University reviewed 28 randomized clinical trials and 14 observational studies that included more than 44,000 women. The goal was to determine the effectiveness and any harms of telehealth strategies for maternal health care.

Many of the telehealth strategies included were used to treat postpartum depression or to monitor diabetes or high blood pressure during pregnancy. They also served as an alternative to general maternity care for low-risk pregnancies.

Researchers found these appointments resulted in mostly similar, or sometimes better, outcomes compared with in-person care.

The authors said this may mean that telehealth can be a supplement to usual care for postpartum depression. Telehealth interventions were more likely to improve mood symptoms in the short term compared to in-person care alone, they said, though the effects might not be sustained.

What a gift to not have to go into the doctor’s office for every prenatal visit! Less time off work, or for those of us with a few kids, less taking time off work to bundle up a baby for a routine visit to check out the baby-to-be. And that’s coming from someone with only a 10 minute drive to the doctor’s office. The caveat of course is that sufficient broadband is required.

The Roadmap to Telehealth Efficacy – broadband is essential to good health

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It was amazing, and lifesaving, to see how quickly healthcare could move online during the pandemic. Healthcare facilities stepped up their game by bringing in the technology, patients stepped by learning how to use it and government stepped up by relaxing rules on reimbursement and licensure. To keep up the momentum we must continue to have engagement from all three players – and the one that seems most precarious is the relaxed rules.

The folks at Brookings recognized this and came up with a report that makes recommendations to help continue use and growth of telehealth…

  1. Federal and state governments must continue telehealth availability and use in a post-pandemic environment through codifying its use, especially in legislation.
  2. Modality neutrality must become a standard practice to adequately address digital disparities, and ensure full use of remote health care.
  3. The U.S. must adopt a federal privacy standard to ensure patient/ provider confidentiality and reduce risks to data
  4. The larger health care community must understand that they, too, are part of efforts to close the national digital divide through training, device availabilities, and online consumer engagement.
  5. States and localities must prioritize telehealth in their broadband plan and include local stakeholders.
  6. Telehealth should be incorporated in value-based payment initiatives.
  7. The incorporation of AI into telehealth must prioritize equity and fairness.

I think it’s helpful for those of us outside of healthcare and/or policy field to see all that is required to make or sustain such a social shift in how we do things. But it’s really the fourth and fifth points that will relate to most readers. Access to healthcare is a compelling reason to strive for better broadband, especially in areas where physical healthcare facilities are not nearby. Remember to invite healthcare folks to your broadband planning meetings and remember to include telehealth training into your digital equity efforts.

How is Pike Township MN going to get better broadband? Through a letter writing campaign

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This post is to help spread the word in St Louis County for a fun event. If you’re outside of St Louis County, this point is to spread the word on a good idea.

The folks in Pike Township are holding a virtual letter writing party to invite residents to write letters to support their Border to Border grant application. They are working with Paul Bunyan Communications. What a fun way to get people involved and excited for broadband. Gone are the days when half the battle was getting the locals excited but never gone is the advantage of a community that is excited to subscribe.

Congrats to Hannah Buckland, MN Office of Broadband Development’s New Digital Equity Lead

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The Office of Broadband Development reports…

 OBD is excited to announce that we have a new staff person joining our team to lead the state’s digital equity efforts. Hannah Buckland is coming to us from the Minnesota Department of Education where she is a State Library Program Specialist responsible for administering several of MDE’s grant programs for libraries. Hannah has also served as Director of Library Services at Leech Lake Tribal College, worked on the 2020 census to ensure libraries were prepared to assist patrons in completing the online census form, and was an appointed member of the Dayton Administration Governor’s Task Force on Broadband. After completing undergraduate and graduate degrees at Knox College (Galesburg, Ill.) and University of Pittsburgh, Hannah came to Minnesota for the Leech Lake Tribal College job and has put down roots by purchasing a home in St. Paul. You might see her cat, Lentil, on Zoom calls. In her free time, Hannah likes to travel across the country to hike and camp. Welcome, Hannah!

Hannah is an excellent selection. She has experience on the frontlines and in the planning seat. And a librarian is always a good choice!

Broadband still making priority list on MN Farm Bill

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Minneapolis Star Tribune reports…

With a garage door opened to the tall, green corn of the Peterson family, Monday’s midsummer gathering marked the committee’s first field hearing in the Midwest. The earlier stops have been farther west, such as California and Arizona, where conversations revolved around access to water.

The farm bill touches everything from food policy to broadband, biofuels to school lunches. This often leaves priorities in tension — from reducing the carbon footprint of industrial agriculture to providing milk for hungry children.

MN County digital equity related rankings: education, computer ownership, broadband subscriber and speed.

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A week (or so) ago, I mentioned Microsoft’s searchable digital equity maps. They track how people are access the Microsoft resources and combine that with demographic data from various sources. In the past I have used Office of Broadband Development data to rank counties by broadband availability. The equity ranking looks more at who is using the broadband available and what roadblocks might be in a given county to encourage more users. I am going to be using this data to dive into each county but for now I’m look at the whole state and ranking of:

  • Counties with the lowest percentage of adults (25+) without a high school degree
  • Counties with the lowest percentage of homes without a computer
  • Counties with lowest percentage households not using broadband
  • Counties by lowest percentage of non-users based on broadband speeds

Side notes: the maps are built on census tracts and each census tract is assigned a digital inequity index value. In other words, you can track which part of your county scores lowest (which is a good thing) in inequity and which is highest but those ranking aren’t available by county. That’s helpful when you’re on the frontlines. The map to the right shows the Digital Equity Index – the darker the color, the better an area (census track) is doing with Digital Equity. Also – the Microsoft maps has other demographics you can sort by (poverty level, disability status, income…) to help you dig into your assets and challenges.

People talk about digital equity like a three-legged stool. You need affordable access to broadband, a device and the skills to use them. The tables below might help you determine which of the three legs need attention in your county.

  • Low high school degree rate? Maybe need training or to partner with workforce training and the schools?
  • Low computer ownership? Look for a partner to distribute low cost computers. Or give classes on how to buy a computer.
  • Low broadband use? Maybe you need better availability. (Previous rankings might help confirm lack of access.) Or maybe it’s an affordability issue. Then you might connect residents with info on the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Continue reading →

FCC Proposes Fines of $4.3M Against 73 RDOF Applicants for Defaults – some with MN connections

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The FCC reports…

The Federal Communications Commission today proposed $4,353,773.87 in fines against 73 applicants in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction (Auction 904) for apparently violating Commission requirements by defaulting on their bids between July 26, 2021 and March 10, 2022. The FCC provided clear guidance in its rules and notices on the monetary forfeitures associated with defaults in Auction 904. The bid defaults prevented 1,702 census block groups with 129,909 estimated locations in 36 states from seeing timely new investments in broadband infrastructure.

The applicants defaulted on their respective bids by withdrawing applications in certain areas, or failing to meet deadlines and requirements required in the auction rules after having already placed winning bids in Auction 904. In order to be authorized to receive universal service support, winning bidders or their assignees were required to provide information that demonstrated they are legally, financially, and technically qualified to fulfill the Auction 904 public interest obligations. The Notice of Apparent Liability proposes forfeitures for 73 applicants and two bidding consortia. However, the Notice does not propose forfeitures for applicants who defaulted on bids in response to the FCC’s letters identifying census blocks that may have been already served or raised significant concerns about wasteful spending.

There was one bidders found in default in MN…

  1. Aspire Networks 2, LLC (Aspire); FRN: 0030311583; File No.: EB-IHD-22- 00033836; NAL/Acct No.: 202232080013. Aspire is a competitive local exchange carrier registered in Delaware and Minnesota that provides internet services to rural locations in Minnesota.9 Aspire’s parent company, Atlantic Engineering Group, Inc. (AEG), a Georgia company, was part of the AEG and Heron Broadband I (Consortium).10 The Consortium timely submitted its Short-Form Application to participate in Auction 904 and was a successful bidder.11 The Consortium then assigned two CBGs to Aspire, which timely filed its Long-Form Application in Auction 904.12 On February 16, 2021, Aspire notified the Commission of its intent to default on its two CBGs subject to forfeiture in Minnesota.13 WCB declared Aspire to be in default on July 26, 2021, and referred the company to EB for enforcement action.14 The Commission finds that Aspire apparently committed two violations by defaulting on its CBGs subject to forfeiture, which places the company’s base forfeiture at $6,000.00.15 Aspire’s assigned CBGs in default subject to forfeiture amounted to $6,470,222.30, thereby capping the maximum possible forfeiture at $970,533.34, which is 15% of Aspire’s defaulted support subject to forfeiture in Auction 904.16 Because the base forfeiture is less than the 15% cap established in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order, 17 the Commission finds that the forfeiture amount of $6,000.00 against Aspire is appropriate here.

LTD was also one of the bidders found in default…

  1. LTD Broadband LLC (LTD Broadband); FRN: 0020926788; File No.: EB-IHD-22- 00033870; NAL/Acct No.: 202232080047. LTD Broadband is a Nevada company that provides fiber and fixed wireless service to customers, businesses and governmental entities located in rural areas.306 LTD Broadband timely submitted its Short-Form Application to participate in Auction 904 and was a successful bidder.307 On August 16, 2021, LTD Broadband notified the Commission of its intent to default on certain census blocks.308 On August 25, 2021, LTD Broadband also notified the Commission that it would not seek reconsideration of WCB’s denial of the company’s deadline waiver request for its Kansas and Oklahoma bids.309 The areas where LTD Broadband intended to default cover 768 CBGs subject to forfeiture. WCB declared LTD Broadband to be in default on December 16, 2021,310 and on January 28, 2022,311 and referred the company to EB for enforcement action. The Commission finds that LTD Broadband apparently committed violations by defaulting on 768 CBGs subject to forfeiture, which places the company’s base forfeiture at $2,304,000.00.312 LTD Broadband’s CBGs in default subject to forfeiture amounted to $78,496,778.40, thereby capping the maximum possible forfeiture at $11,774,516.76, which is 15% of LTD Broadband’s defaulted support subject to forfeiture in Auction 904.313 Because the base forfeiture is less than the 15% cap established in the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Order, 314 the Commission finds that the forfeiture amount of $2,304,000.00 against LTD Broadband is appropriate here

Redwood County residents asked to take a survey and leave a message about broadband

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This is a reach out to folks in Redwood County and a possible idea for other counties. Redwood County is working with Arvig on a Border to Border grant. The County EDA has been working on a broadband vision…

Every resident and business in Redwood County will have access to an affordable, reliable, high-speed internet connection delivered by committed community partners skilled in operating and maintaining a successful fiber broadband network.

And a place for Redwood County residents to engage. Folks are invited to take the broadband survey or send in their personal message about broadband need.  It’ll be a great accompaniment to their grant application as well as providing insight into need.

Thomson Township pledge ARPA funds for Border to Border applications in Carlton County

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The Pine Journal reports…

Thomson Township supervisors made a resolution of support and pledged $187,500 to two broadband initiatives in the area during a meeting Thursday, July 21.

The two initiatives include a Mediacom broadband expansion and joining the Cloquet broadband project, both of which are applying to secure state funding for their projects.

Leah Pykkonen, the township’s deputy clerk, presented the Mediacom proposal to the board and explained its benefits.

According to Pykkonen, the project would cover 420 homes in the northern part of the township and connect to the existing infrastructure.

They will be using ARPA funds…

Town Clerk Rhonda Peleski said the township has $565,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, and some of it could be allocated for broadband expansion. …

After some deliberation between board members, they agreed on pledging $150,000 to the Mediacom project.

The Cloquet broadband project, which the supervisors also pledged support to, has a smaller scope for the township as it would only cover 92 homes.

With that in mind, Paulson said it would make sense to give the project 25% of the funding, $37,500, as it would be closer to an equal share compared to the number of homes covered with the Mediacom project.