From the Office of Broadband Development…
Updates From the Office of Broadband Development
- Register today: Weekly webinar series kicks off in April from OBD
- DEED leaders recognized for work in broadband, congratulations Kevin McKinnon and Diane Wells
- Digital Opportunity Data Dive
- Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, March meeting recap
Weekly webinar series kicks off in April from the Office of Broadband Development
Register today for the Broadband Development Tuesday Training Series: Navigating PLUS (Permitting, Land Use, and State Systems).
This series will take place Tuesdays in April, 10-11:30am. Agency experts will provide an overview of their agency, and information on current processes, timelines, goals, and best practices working on broadband projects and with broadband grantees.
Register for sessions below:
- April 2nd: Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), register here
- April 9th: State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), register here
- April 16th, Break no presentation this week
- April 23rd: Joint presentation from Minnesota Indian Affairs Council (MIAC), Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS), and the Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA), register here
- April 30th: Department of Natural Resources (DNR), register here
Content from the series will be recorded and posted to the Office of Broadband Development’s webpage.
DEED leaders recognized for work in broadband, congratulations Kevin McKinnon and Diane Wells!
Deputy Commissioner of Economic Development, Kevin McKinnon and Deputy Director of the Office of Broadband Development Diane Wells were recently honored by the Minnesota Telecom Alliance at their Annual Conference with the Friend of the Industry Award for their service and commitment to broadband access and deployment in Minnesota. Both have been part of this work at DEED since the office was created 10 years ago! In the past, this award was given to lawmakers who championed this work, and it hasn’t been given out for 15 years, so congratulations to Kevin and Diane on this significant honor!
MTA Board of Directors Chair Terry Nelson, OBD Deputy Director Diane Wells, and MTA President/CEO Brent Christensen
The Digital Opportunity Data Drive
Public libraries—and their knowledgeable staff—are essential partners in digital inclusion work. Statewide as of 2022, Minnesota has 359 public library locations, 358 of which offer public Wi-Fi. Their combined total of 4,921 public computers and devices saw 1,749,819 patron uses in 2022, up from 1,236,941 in 2021. Further in-depth public library statistics are available through the MN Department of Education.
The digital inclusion work done daily by library staff is complemented by Minitex, a state-funded library organization. Minitex’s resources and services—available to anyone with an internet connection in Minnesota’s geography—include the extensive databases in eLibrary Minnesota, historical and cultural heritage materials through Minnesota Digital Library, and the AskMN 24/7 online reference service. Minitex also offers continuing education for librarians and educators in all these resources and more.
Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, March meeting recap
The Task Force met at DEED headquarters in St. Paul, MN on Wednesday March 20th for an overview on 2024 Legislative Session Broadband Bills, to hear updates on BEAD and Digital Opportunity, and to learn about the American Connection Project from Taylor Stuckert, the Executive Director of the American Connection Corps. The agenda is available, as are minutes from previous Task Force meetings on the Broadband Task Force webpage.