Here’s a video recap of a MN Broadband Development Office Listening Session in North Central MN from Lakeland PBS…
MN Broadband Development Office Listening Session in North Central MN
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Monthly Archives: September 2023
Worldwide boys are 1.5 times likely to own a cell phone. Why?
Girl Effect released a recent report (Real Girls, Real Lives, Connected: A global study of girls’ access and usage of mobile internet) that looks at gender discrepancies in cell phone access and use. Research included 3000 surveys of both girls and boys. Some surveys were online; 1,371 were in person interviews. This is an international survey. It would be interesting to see a US, or Minnesota survey, but the US is included in the survey. However, in the Digital Equity Plans, the NTIA is asking each state to address the needs of “covered populations”, which includes: Immigrants, Individuals with a language barrier and Individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group, which makes this report on international views is especially valuable.
Here are some of their findings:
- For girls, access is much more diverse and colourful than simply whether they ‘have’ or ‘have not’ got a phone. Access is often transient, and diverse ownership, borrowership and sharing practices are flourishing
- Boys are 1.5 times more likely to own a phone and 1.8 times more likely to own a smartphone. They’re also more likely to use phones in more diverse and internet-enabled ways than girls
- Girls are going to great lengths to gain access. They are active agents in achieving their own access, and in some cases have ‘secret phones’
- Affordability can be a major barrier for girls and boys; however, girls often face a range of social barriers which can overtake affordability as an issue
- Phones, apps and digital platforms are not currently designed for the ways in which girls use them (which includes shared use and borrowing) or might want to use them in future
The report pulls out statistics and looks at context around the findings by talking to experts. It also includes comments from survey takers:
- After buying a mobile phone I have been able to do a lot of good stuff. I do online exams, fill in application forms, send emails. If I have to travel I find out about the train times. In case I get stuck anywhere, then I contact my family members to tell them that I am stuck at that place. I do a lot of good things on a mobile phone, like studying and using the dictionary. (Girl, 18, India)
- [Girls] do not have parent’s permission, do not have relative’s permission… parent’s national identity card [is] needed for SIM registration that’s why they can’t use a mobile phone. (Girl, 18, Bangladesh)
- Truly I don’t know how to make of smartphone, I don’t know how to check the content inside the phone so as to know the one which is preferable to me. (Girl, 17, Nigeria)
Sen Klobuchar urges AI regulations for elections – another answer is information literacy
On Wednesday, Klobuchar, the chairwoman of the Senate Rules Committee, held a hearing to determine what Congress can do to prevent artificial intelligence from undermining elections and attacking a democratic process, especially as the contest for the next U.S. president is heating up.
“Like any emerging technology, AI comes with risk, and we’d better be ready,” she said.
Earlier this month, Klobuchar introduced the Protect Elections from Deceptive AI Act, bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the distribution of materially deceptive AI-generated audio, images, or video relating to federal candidates in political ads or fundraising efforts. It would require that this content be taken down and allows its victims to seek damages in federal court.
Klobuchar is also the sponsor of another bill, the REAL Political Ads Act, which would require a disclaimer on political ads that use images or video generated by artificial intelligence.
But, in finding the best way to combat the increasing threat posed by AI to American elections, Klobuchar must fend off arguments that new regulations would erode First Amendment rights to free speech.
“As we learn more about this technology, we must also keep in mind the important protections of free speech in this country. These protections are needed to preserve our democracy,” said Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska, the top Republican on the Rules Committee.
A witness at Wednesday’s hearing was Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, who said “we are talking about an old problem – election misinformation and disinformation – that can now more easily be amplified.”
Simon said some disinformation could come, not from an attempt to willfully hurt a political opponent, but simply through “an innocent circumstance.”
Sometimes I like to step onto my librarian soapbox. Regulating AI will be difficult, and politics is only one area where AI may be used to persuade consumers to change thoughts or actions. Another way to approach AI is preparing the consumers with digital and information literacy. Making it harder to manipulate consumers.
This isn’t an either/or proposition but with Digital Equity money coming into the State through federal funds, now is a good time to invest in education. Learning how to use email and getting a computer of your own doesn’t guarantee a person will be able to recognize real from AI but having those tools will help.
It reminds me of the old ads for Memorex (see below). I don’t know that I could ever train my years to hear the difference between recorded and live without context. But even with limited context, I can probably figure out that Ella Fitzgerald is not playing at my prom in St Paul. A lot of information literacy is looking at context and a lot of digital skills is having the tools to investigate or confirm context. Same skills that can help us recognize AI today.
New DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek talks broadband with MinnPost
MinnPost recently interviewed the new DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. And they asked a lot of questions about broadband…
Matt Varilek is fortunate as the new commissioner of Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development to have internet that is fast enough for him to have remote meetings at home in rural Benton County.
But not everyone in Greater Minnesota has that ability, which is why delivering broadband across the state is a passion of his. It’s also a monumental task. His office will oversee the distribution of more than $750 million in state and federal funds to subsidize broadband infrastructure.
Broadband expansion is just one of several high-profile assignments DEED will be responsible for in the next few years. Another is carrying out Minnesota’s new paid family and medical leave law, which is expected to need about 400 new state workers to administer the program.
When asked about economic challenges…
… Another example that matters to all of us and where we work on it everywhere, but which has a slightly different character in Greater Minnesota, is broadband. It’s certainly a passion of ours at DEED, and it’s a passion of mine as a guy who is working in Greater Minnesota right now and only able to do my remote meetings thanks to having good broadband where I happen to live.
And broadband…
MP: I did want to ask you a broadband question. You all have an incredible amount of money coming your way to hand out from the federal government and from the Legislature. Broadly, do you have any thoughts on coming into office and having to handle hundreds of millions of dollars and finding the way to connect some of these hardest-to-reach places?
MV: It’s a fantastic situation to be in that we really have significant resources now to invest thanks to this being a bipartisan priority at the national level and then here in Minnesota as well. In fact, it’s obviously such a priority that the Legislature has established a more ambitious goal in terms of the speed that we wanna hit to consider the job accomplished. We’re excited to be doing that.
MP: The state has leaned pretty heavily into subsidizing the fiber-optic cable side of things, seeing it as more reliable and faster than some emerging technologies (that can be cheaper) like fixed wireless and satellite like Starlink. There is certainly a robust debate out there about where the state should go. Do you have a philosophy on that? Some Republicans have suggested the state buy people a Starlink subscription and be done with it.
MV: I have my opinions as someone that uses broadband, but I also am smart enough to know that there are experts who are engaged in that debate. And I always want to have my ears open to findings and reflections from those experts. But for now we’re gonna carry on with the plans as they exist under the direction of our, I think, highly regarded Office of Broadband Development.
MP: I would love to hear those opinions, even if you’re hearing from the experts, too.
MV: Well, what I’m saying is if we get findings deviating from the fiber direction that would make more sense, we will listen to that. But that’s not the direction that I’m hearing from the experts that we talk to.
More details the push for Net Neutrality
The Twin Cities Pioneer Press posts an Associated Press article on Net Neutrality spurred by US Senators asking the FCC to restore Net Neutrality rules…
Landmark net neutrality rules rescinded under former President Donald Trump could return under a new push by U.S. Federal Communications Commission chair Jessica Rosenworcel. The rules would reclassify broadband access as an essential service on par with other utilities like water or power.
“For everyone, everywhere, to enjoy the full benefits of the internet age, internet access should be more than just accessible and affordable,” Rosenworcel said at an event at the National Press Club. “The internet needs to be open.”
The proposed rules would return fixed and mobile broadband service to its status as an essential telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. It would also prohibit internet service providers from blocking or throttling lawful Internet traffic and from selling “fast lanes” that prioritize some traffic over others in exchange for payment.
The move comes after Democrats took majority control of the five-member FCC on Monday for the first time since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021 when new FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez was sworn in.
Rosenworcel said the FCC will vote in October to take public comment on the proposed rules.
WOW Internet building a fiber network in Anoka and Ramsey Counties
WOW! Internet, TV & Phone (NYSE: WOW), a leading broadband services provider, today announced its entrance into Minnesota where it will begin construction of its fast, reliable, all-IP fiber network in Anoka and Ramsey Counties over the coming months. The company expects to add more than 85,000 new homes in Minnesota, increasing the number of targeted homes passed as part of the Greenfield expansion initiative to a total of 345,000 homes passed, reflecting progress toward the company’s goal of reaching 400,000 new homes by 2027 and increasing its footprint by 21%.
WOW!’s expansion into Minnesota builds off the company’s announcement earlier this month to bring its services to new communities in Michigan. These new service area expansions are part of the company’s larger Greenfield initiative, with new build-outs underway in Central Florida and Greenville County, South Carolina, and early indicators pointing to impressive growth and penetration in Central Florida communities where WOW!’s service is now available.
The Minnesota communities that will benefit from WOW!’s all-fiber network expansion include Andover, Anoka, Centerville, Circle Pines, Coon Rapids, Lexington, Lino Lakes, Ramsey, Roseville, Shoreview and White Bear Lake. WOW! has begun preliminary work in these areas to bring its state-of-the-art services and exceptional customer service to community members seeking more flexible and reliable broadband access. …
Once services are launched, these communities will experience WOW!’s all-fiber network and can subscribe to fiber services, including residential symmetrical Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps. Subscribers will receive the necessary equipment upfront to get started on WOW!’s reliable, high-speed network along with WiFi at no extra cost, unlimited data, and no annual contracts. Among its suite of products, WOW! will also offer YouTube TV, reliable home phone plans, WOW! mobile powered by Reach, and flexible, comprehensive solutions for businesses.
To learn more about WOW!, and to find out if its services are available in your area, please visit www.wowway.com.
Senators ask FCC to restore Net Neutrality
The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society report…
Senators Edward Markey (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) led 25 of their Senate colleagues in writing to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections. Doing so will allow the FCC to effectively protect consumers from harmful practices online, promote affordable access to the internet, enhance public safety, increase marketplace competition, and take other important steps to benefit our nation’s digital future. The letter is cosigned by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-II), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-II), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Angus King (I-Maine).
Here’s the text of the letter they sent...
We write regarding the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) rightful authority over broadband internet access. Now that the FCC has a full slate of commissioners, we urge you to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act. Doing so will enable you to effectively protect consumers from harmful practices online, promote affordable access to the internet, enhance public safety, increase marketplace competition, and take other important steps to benefit our nation’s digital future.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left no doubt that, now more than ever, broadband is essential. Over the past three years, Americans have come to rely on the internet for everything from education and healthcare to commerce and connection to loved ones. Three-fourths of Americans say that internet access is as important as water or electricity,1 and broadband usage during the pandemic grew at the highest rate of increase in nearly a decade.2 With the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress made historic investments to ensure every American can access what has become the country’s primary communications network. By passing that historic law, we recognized the necessity of affordable, reliable, high-quality broadband internet connections. Now, the FCC’s regulatory classifications should reflect what Americans and Congress know to be true: broadband internet access service is an indispensable part of American life.
Despite the essential nature of broadband, the previous Administration’s FCC voted to repeal net neutrality protections, and with it threw out most of the Commission’s ability to enforce the consumer protection, competition, public safety, and universal service principles at the heart of the Communications Act. Net neutrality is a set of guidelines necessary to keep the internet open to all and free of discriminatory practices by providers. It forbids Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from blocking or slowing down customers’ access to sites or apps; charging websites to reach users at quicker speeds; and instituting other unjust, unreasonable, and discriminatory practices. Net neutrality creates an internet ecosystem that is free and open to all, and it benefits consumers, small businesses and rural residents alike. Critically, repeated court rulings have
made clear that reclassifying broadband as a telecommunications service is the only way the FCC can use its legal authority to reinstate net neutrality, which will protect online expression, catalyze competition, and increase innovation.
Reinstating the Commission’s rightful Title II authority over broadband will also benefit the public in areas beyond net neutrality. Since the previous Administration erroneously classified broadband as an information service, we have heard from constituents, companies, and entrepreneurs about the need for the FCC to reassert its authority so it can prevent broadband providers from engaging in practices that harm online users as well as potential new entrants into the broadband marketplace. Only with Title II classification can the FCC prohibit unreasonable and unjust practices of broadband providers, effectively protect network resiliency and national security, ensure service quality, expand internet access, and combat anti-competitive practices. The FCC is the agency with expertise in broadband policy, and reclassifying broadband as a Title II service is a requisite step in the FCC’s efforts to serve the American people and conduct proper oversight of broadband internet.
You have unequivocally condemned the FCC’s past actions to roll back net neutrality policies and relinquish FCC authority over broadband. Now that the FCC has a full complement of commissioners, we urge you to act to protect the free and open internet for all Americans. We commend you for your leadership and appreciate your attention to this important topic.
OPPORTUNITY: Two open seats on MN Broadband Task Force
According to the Secretary of State’s website, there are two open seats on the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband. Here are more details…
Membership
The Task Force consists of fifteen members who are appointed by the Governor and have experience or interest in broadband matters. The members must represent a balance of broadband interests, including: residential and business consumers, local governments, libraries, K-12 and higher education institutions, tribal interests, healthcare, broadband providers, economic development, agriculture, rural development, workforce development, and labor interests.
Entity Powers and Duties, Activity Summary
To research, recommend, and promote state broadband policy, planning, and initiatives that address state broadband needs and goals. Create an annual report due no later than December 31 each year which includes an inventory and assessment of needs, barriers, issues and goals for broadband access; needs and use of broadband in Minnesota’s education, health care, agriculture, energy, industry and business, library, government, tribal, public safety and other key economic sectors; digital inclusion definitions; broadband availability and accessibility for unserved and underserved populations; advances in broadband technologies; opportunities to coordinate with federal, state and local agencies; and a review of continued adequacy and appropriateness of the existing statutory broadband goals.
They meet monthly. They had been meeting entirely online through COVID. It seems as if they are working on a hybrid solution moving forward. I record the meetings, if you want to get a preview of what they are like.
Senator Smith working on Expanded Telehealth Access Act
Senator Smith’s website reports…
U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Steve Daines (R-MT) reintroduced their bipartisan Expanded Telehealth Access Act to make pandemic-driven expanded access to certain telehealth services under Medicare permanent. …
To help reduce risks associated with visiting medical providers during the pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the types of health care providers who receive reimbursement for telehealth services. The Expanded Telehealth Access Act makes permanent the reimbursement eligibility for physical therapists, audiologists, occupational therapists, and speech language pathologists and permits the Secretary of Health and Human services to expand this list.
Minnesota’s Five-Year Broadband Action Plan for BEAD funding
Over the weekend, I had a chance to read through the Five Year Broadband Action Plan created by the MN Office of Broadband Development as part of the BEAD process. (It’s a precursor of sorts to the Initial Proposal due in December 2023.) At the highest level, it seems to say that Minnesota, through the Office of Broadband Development, is well poised to administer the BEAD money because they have been doing it for a long time. If this were a resume, I’m pretty sure we’d get the job.
They outline the current situation:
The FCC data identified 134,850 unserved locations (lack broadband service of at least 25Mbps download/3Mbps upload by a wired or licensed fixed wireless service). That total includes 7,067 locations determined to be high cost for deploying broadband.
Minnesota’s most recent data (as of 12/31/2022) identified 152,000 unserved locations without a wired broadband service delivering speeds of at least 25Mbps download/3Mbps upload (shown in pink on above map) and 229,000 underserved locations without a wired broadband service delivering speeds of at least 100Mbps download/20Mbps upload (total of pink and purple on above map). Minnesota statutes identify locations without a wired service of at least 100/20 as eligible for broadband grant funding, thus for purposes of determining grant eligibility, OBD focuses on those areas lacking a wired broadband service.
The highlight points of synchronicity…
Minnesota’s statutory goals directly align with those of the BEAD program, prioritizing the deployment of broadband infrastructure to locations that are unserved, then deploying infrastructure to locations that are underserved.
And there’s a plan to update the estimated costs to securing universal access in MN at speeds of 100/20
The cost estimate to achieve universal broadband service in Minnesota is under development. In the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband’s Annual Report for 2022, the estimate necessary for achieving full coverage was $2,764,500,000, using a cost per passing of $9,500 and the number of homes without broadband service of at least 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload as 291,000. The cost share attributable to provider/community match was then factored in at both 50 percent and 75 percent. The result was the need for public funding of $1,382,250,000 with a 50 percent match and $2,073,375,000 with a 75 percent match. Amounts calculated to be received from ARPA CPF, ReConnect 3, RDOF, NTIA Tribal awards, BEAD, and Federal Direct Appropriations were then factored in.
Prior to the submission of the Initial Proposal, OBD will do additional work to calculate a more accurate cost per passing by reviewing the results of our two most recent grant rounds (including the first round of our Lower Population Density Program), reviewing any data available from CostQuest, examining factors that would increase costs in various geographies of Minnesota, using NTIA’s toolkit, and discussing with providers serving in the various regions of the state.
They also highlight the barriers to getting broadband to everyone. Funding is the big one:
Funding—despite the eight broadband infrastructure grant rounds funded and administered in Minnesota, awarding over $280M, and two additional state funded grant rounds totaling $100M anticipated in the next year, even with the BEAD allocation, Minnesota expects to be short funds to improve broadband speeds and reliability to all currently unserved and underserved locations. The most recent grant round saw funding requests at three times funding availability.
The weather, uncertainty, supply chain are other issues. There is also Minnesota communities’ preference for fiber:
Community based support and communities generally want fiber—in Minnesota, high speed broadband generally means fiber when speaking with communities. If the once-in-a-lifetime infusion of funding for broadband deployment is going to serve as the permanent solution for a community’s broadband needs, then most every community wants that solution to be fiber. In most grant applications OBD has seen since 2014, fiber projects predominate.
There will always be a place for wireless broadband, but I think the focus on fiber is as result of Minnesota’s communities’ experience learning about broadband since 2010 (even before!). This is an area where it’s nice to see Minnesota offer its experience to expect/ask the most from the federal funding.
Another barrier is the mapping situation:
CostQuest license barriers–OBD and its mapping partner are working through the licensing requirements of the CostQuest license to continue the Minnesota map which is familiar to our residents, businesses and providers. Hopefully the data can be as transparent as prior maps, but that remains to be determined.
Minnesota is slated to get about $650 million for broadband through BEAD. That isn’t going to change and as stated above, it might not be enough, subsequently accurate maps are going to be key to equitable investment. Minnesota has been mapping broadband for many years. The maps have been created with data provided by providers but residents have always had the opportunity to run a speed text and report any discrepancies to OBD. I have heard that mapping challenges are not as straightforward for the FCC maps, especially for aggregate challenge options. Maybe this is another area where Minnesota’s expertise can shine.
Using mapping to better understand BEAD allocation
We’ve spoken with Glenn Fishbine about mapping in the past. He is now with Breaking Point Solutions doing the same work. He and his colleague, Nancy DeGidio, along with community broadband Champion Barbara Droher Kline, joined me for a chat and demonstration about how maps can change the way we think of BEAD. (Broadband Equity Access and Deployment is the $650 million of federal funds coming into Minnesota for broadband deployment.) I was glad to have Barbara join because she’s a practitioner of broadband development and had some great practical question.
The maps are proprietary but getting the overview really helped me better understand opportunities we might have with BEAD. For example, providers can find areas that qualify for BEAD funding and are adjacent or near areas they already serve – or maybe areas in their exiting footprint. Communities can find out what areas will qualify for BEAD funding – those are areas where more than 80 percent are not unserved or underserved. You can also see areas that are un/underserved but not at the same percentage. (Because you’ll want those homes to get service too.) You can see who serves these areas or provides service nearby. You can even find areas that have not been counted in BEAD (served and unserved) and area where you may believe connectivity has been overestimated. In either case, that might spur a challenge to the FCC.
Glenn did a quick scan of how much it would cost to serve the areas that had 80 percent of more of un/underserved households and found that if that was the only qualifier for BEAD funding, Minnesota might be in danger of leaving $100 million of the $650 million on the table and households left unserved.
Arvig upgrades to 400 Gbps-capable routes in parts of its Minnesota backbone
Fiber broadband provider Arvig has announced completion of the construction of its first 400 Gbps-capable routes in parts of its Minnesota backbone.
The routes, located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, offer the potential for four times as much capacity as the former 100 Gbps network. They also reach into central and north central Minnesota, going into major regional hubs that include St. Cloud. The upgraded portions of the backbone can scale to 1 Tbps.
Their mode of growth has been diverse…
Arvig is using a variety of growth strategies in its expansion. In January of this year, the company acquired a fiber network from ALP Utilities that serves about 130 businesses in the city of Alexandria, MN.
In July 2022, the company entered a $4.4 million public–private partnership with Redwood County, MN, to bring 1 Gbps connectivity to residential customers and 10 Gbps service to businesses in Belview, Clements, Morgan, Seaforth, Vesta, Wabasso, Walnut Grove and Wanda.
The partnership is partially funded by a $1.3 million grant Arvig received in December 2022 from Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant program. In addition, Arvig will contribute $1.2 million to the project and the county will add $1.9 million through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). It is expected to be completed in June 2025.
Arvig’s Minnesota network currently has 27 data centers and more than 15,500 route miles and is growing by at least 1,000 miles per year. The company offers internet, television and telephone services to more than 54,000 residential and business customers in Minnesota.
Celebrating 10 years of Carver County’s CarverLink Fiber Network
Time flies when you’ve got fiber! I remember the start of CarverLink and I’m thankful that they’d share their highlights. Like all overnight success stories, it takes more than a day. Carver County got ARRA funding, which helped greatly. Any community interested in BEAD funding might take a look at how Carver made it happen…
It is hard to believe but September 2023 is the 10 year “Go Live” anniversary of Carver County’s CarverLink Public Fiber Network. Oh, how we have grown over the past decade.
The primary purpose for CarverLink is to provide quality and reliable fiber connectivity to support the County’s operations, from sheriff and public works activities to our libraries, parks and license centers. The secondary purpose for CarverLink is threefold 1) Provide fiber connectivity to our 20+ public and community support partners; 2) Provide a fiber network that is available to private service providers (such as Metronet, Arvig and others) to make available high speed broadband to our businesses and residents; 3) Utilize CarverLink’s fiber resources to make available appropriate connectivity options to other regional public entities via fiber barters, sharing and collaborations that benefit the County and/or region.
All this growth is possible because of the strong “family” relationship we have built with our public and community support partners coupled with the County Board’s understanding of the value and long term commitment to devote resources to broadband. This commitment and understanding is helping us towards reaching our goal of becoming the first county in the State to make available high speed broadband to all locations within the County that desire it.
And we absolutely need to call out the positive and mutually beneficial public-private relationship we have had and continue to have with our primary fiber partner Metronet (previously Jaguar Communications). The noncompetitive, non-adversarial, shared vision and true desire for mutual success from both parties is what has made this public private collaboration a success and a relationship to be mirrored for other public private partnerships.
A little history on Carver County’s fiber efforts over the past 15 years
- Between 2007-2010 Carver County identifies the need for fiber connectivity and dedicates resources to work on multiple design and associated funding options to construct a fiber network, which includes multiple submissions for broadband grant funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
- Aug 2010 the County is notified it is an awardee of a $6 million grant for a $7.5 million fiber project from ARRA funding for a public private partnership project with Jaguar Communications to construct a 122 mile fiber network
- Feb 2011 the County lights up its first ever fiber segment, which runs from the Carver County Govt Center in Chaska to the Scott County Govt Center in Shakopee underneath the MN River on Hwy 41
- August 2011 the County begins construction on the partially ARRA funded CarverLink fiber network constructing a segment between Chaska and City of Carver
- April 2013 based on an urgent request from Eastern Carver County Schools District 112 due to a major need for bandwidth currently unavailable from any existing private service providers, CarverLink connects to and begins providing internet service to the Chanhassen High School making them our first connected public entity partner
- Sept 2013 Carver County’s newly renamed CarverLink fiber network officially goes live
- July 2015 based on unprecedented public entity use, CarverLink hits its peak maximum bandwidth limit 3 years early
- Sept 2016 CarverLink upgrades to a fully operational 10GB network, alleviating its bandwidth bottleneck
- Dec 2016, Jaguar Communications, the County’s primary fiber partner, completes its first city fiber overlay in Carver County in the City of NYA, which means it made fiber connectivity available to all addresses located within city limits
- Oct 2018 CarverLink executes its first fiber collaboration with another non Carver County entity, Hennepin County
- July 2020 Metronet acquires Jaguar Communications, CarverLink’s primary fiber network partner
- Sept 2022 CarverLink completes ¾ million dollar project that completely replaces all CarverLink’s legacy network electronics and upgrades the network from a 10GB to a 25GB mesh fabric network.
- June 2022 the County Board approves the largest expansion in history to the CarverLink network allocating $6.5 million for a $10.5 million project called Connect Up Carver that will build over 350 miles of fiber to over 2200 rural locations, with the fiber construction bid won by Metronet
- March 2023 Metronet activates service to the first two customers from the CarverLink Connect Up Carver project which are in rural Hamburg, MN
- Sept 2023 CarverLink completes construction of roughly 200 miles of the 350 miles of Connect Up Carver fiber build
- Sept 2023 the County Board unanimously approves moving forward with the preliminary 2024 recommended budget which includes $2.5 million that would be utilized to expand the current Connect Up Carver project with a Connect Up Carver 2.0 project. This project and funding would essentially provide the County what it needs to become the first County in the State of MN to make available high speed bandwidth to all locations within the County that want it.
If you are interested in finding out more about the County’s broadband activities, which includes our ongoing $10.5 million, 350 mile Connect Up Carver fiber expansion, and many other programs and initiatives, visit the County’s newly updated CarverLink website at https://carverlink.com/broadband-efforts/.
Winona reminds folks of the Line Extension Program for last mile broadband help
Winona Post reportsThe Minnesota Office of Broadband Development under the Department of Employment and Economic Development is administering the Line Extension Program: mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/extension. A household or business can apply, at no cost, to the Line Extension Connection program if it does not have wireline internet service of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload. Grant funding is available to encourage internet providers to extend coverage to eligible applicants.
Residents and businesses who believe they are unserved can learn more and apply online at mn.gov/deed/programs-services/broadband/extension or by calling 651-259-7610 or emailing DEED.broadband@state.mn.us. To date, nearly 2,500 homes and businesses have registered for the program across the state.
This seemed like a good time to remind folks that the Line Extension has an open application process but the applications are complied every six months. Here is the timing according to the Office of Broadband Development website…
How quickly will line extensions be installed under this program?
This program has a number of steps built into the process. An approximate timeline would be as follows:
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Address is registered in portal (November 2022)
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Every six months OBD sends list of addresses to broadband providers in Minnesota (May 2023)
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Broadband providers notify OBD if they can already serve any of the addresses (May 2023)
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Reverse auction begins (May 2023)
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Broadband service providers have 60 days to submit bids (July 2023)
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OBD selects winning bids (September 2023)
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OBD enters contracts with all winning bidders (October 2023)
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Winning bidders have one year to build the line extension (October 2024)
So it’s never a bad time to submit an application but it looks like the next time they will send the list of addresses to providers will be November 2023. Also interesting to see that the winning bids will be announced this month.
Also from the OBD website is the map of applicant locations at right.
Digital Opportunity Listening Session Sep 21 in Minneapolis: Notes and Video
The MN Office of Broadband Development is hosting talks about Minnesota’s Digital Opportunity Planning Process. It’s an opportunity for folks to learn more and/or chime in with their view of the Draft Digital Opportunity Plan.
I went to the session in St Paul a couple weeks ago and today attended one in Minneapolis.
Most of the session is spent with OBD giving information and since I’ve previously attended a session, I didn’t take many notes. I was more interested in feedback from attendees. There was about 15 minute at the end for folks to ask questions. Many of the questions revolved around the grant opportunities. There seems to be concern that Minneapolis won’t get their portion of grants. (I suspect there was a little bit of that in every session.) More notes below.
Remarks from Hennepin County:
- Hennepin County has been working on digital equity in the county.
- Hennepin County has been having conversations with public all summer. They have been focusing on talking to folks in apartments.
- As many committees in rural as urban areas. Only area with fewer groups was southwest MN.
- Information literacy is a part of digital literacy?
Q: how many in the room have clients that voice concerns about security?
A: 5 hands up out of 20-ish people in the room
Q: how many in the room know what a digital navigator is?
A: 7 hands up
Q: What are the grant priorities?
A: We don’t know.
Overheard comments:
- how do you categorize “rural city”? It seems like this implies that if you’re rural your needs are more important.
- Interesting that some rural areas are well served.
Gaps after folks spoke in small groups
- Black and brown people and people with disabilities deserve the same computers as people working for the county get. When you get a job, someone sets up your computer. We need to be able to offer the same service. And pay folks when they help them.
- Glad to see noncompetitive grants
- Barriers are system challenges
- We need multiple language supports
- Infrastructure – people without broadband are being left behind
- Glad to see prioritization of digital navigators
- Our experience working with older adults has been very positive
- Youth aren’t a covered population. There are pockets esp in rural areas where youth might not fit in another covered population
- Concerned about rural cities, communities and townships. What’s the difference between a rural and urban city? Mpls is less served than Henn County and the State. Afraid Mpls will be left behind.
- There are areas without broadband in Minneapolis?
- Have you through about vocational schools esp for new immigrants?
- Are we talking about need based or age based? There’s also cultural and location. How do we prioritize it?
- This list doesn’t give a good idea of what we can do.
- Where is the intersectionality?