Monthly Archives: January 2025

Looking at State of Digital Inclusion in the States

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NDIA’s State of Digital Inclusion in the States provides a comprehensive and ongoing assessment and celebration of states’ digital inclusion work. NDIA’s prior efforts to learn about state digital inclusion initiatives (previously titled the ‘Digital Equity Scorecard’) were heavily focused on digital skills.

They look at six indicators:

  • Indicator 1: The state dedicates human or financial resources to digital inclusion and found
    39 States have at least one dedicated staff person whose primary role is to advance digital inclusion initiatives
  • Indicator 2: The state contributes to the digital inclusion ecosystem and has established a mechanism for ongoing public feedback and found
    7 States participate in a digital inclusion coalition.
  • Indicator 3: The state connects residents with digital skills resources for education and training opportunities and found
    33 States share digital skills resources on publicly accessible platforms 33 3.1 . Does the state share digital skills resources
  • Indicator 4: The state creates and contributes to pathways for device access or low-cost device ownership and found
    13 States contribute to the supply, preparation, or deployment of devices for public benefit
  • Indicator 5: The state supports affordability through competition and consumer assistance and found
    35 States permit public providers, public-private provider partnerships, and cooperatively organized providers to deliver broadband service without imposing significant regulatory barriers
  • Indicator 6: The state shares digital inclusion data with the community and uses it to inform its work and found
    11 States host publicly available demographic data or data visualizations related to the social determinants of digital equity

Also, the report mentions Minnesota…

The Minnesota State legislature recently repealed barriers to local governments seeking to provide broadband services to residents. The new law removes requirements for municipalities to obtain supermajority approval via a local referendum to purchase or construct networks. The law also allows municipalities to provide broadband service in areas where other providers offer comparable service, which will promote market competition

The role of libraries in community digital equity initiatives and coalitions

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It’s been a long time since I worked a Reference Desk, but I cannot resist an opportunity to mention the role the local library can (and often does) play in digital equity. Today I’m sharing an abstract from Colin Rhinesmith’s paper, Public Libraries, Digital Equity Coalitions, and the Public Good…

Public libraries play a critical role in addressing the digital divide and advancing digital equity in their communities. However, little is known about their participation in digital equity coalitions and what this information might tell us about public libraries as partners in community-wide efforts to advance the public good. This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature by presenting findings from a pilot study of public libraries working with digital equity coalitions in the U.S. The findings from the survey revealed that public libraries support the public good through: (1) convening and leading digital equity coalitions; (2) participating in coalition action planning and advocacy to advance digital equity; and (3) actively centering equity, as opposed to equality, and social justice in their efforts to create and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems. These findings suggest that if public libraries are to effectively lead and actively participate in digital equity coalitions they must not take a neutral stance to librarianship. The findings have implications for public libraries, coalitions, and policymakers interested in understanding how public libraries can support digital equity coalitions. This issue is relevant and timely, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has allocated $2.75 billion to advance digital equity over the next five years. The agency has also recognized that community coalitions will play an important role in the success of this federal initiative.

Libraries are good partners!

EVENT Jan 31-Feb 1: AI Hackathon: Making Local Civic Information More Accessible in Minnesota Communities

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I love a hackathon! And this invitation from the U of M Hubbard School is a great opportunity to get some up-close experience with AI as a development tool…

Minnesota communities face a common challenge: Making sense of crucial civic information buried in lengthy council meetings, complex public documents and scattered government websites.

At the same time, local news outlets have capacity constraints in the ways they currently operate.

This hackathon invites journalists, technologists, civic leaders and community members to come together to build AI-powered solutions that transform how residents access and engage with local information while centering important questions of ethics and equity in how these tools are used and deployed.

Join us to prototype the future of civic engagement — with cash prizes for the most promising solutions!

  • When: Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1
  • Where: University of Minnesota — Twin Cities campus
  • Who should attend: Anyone who cares about how communities share, access and assess information
    • Journalists and news technologists
    • Civic tech developers and designers
    • Local government staff
    • Community organizers
    • Students and researchers 
  • Cost: The two-day hackathon, which includes a mixer on Friday and breakfast and lunch on Saturday, is free — but you must RSVP to join us
  • RSVP:  Register for the two-day hackathon here

EVENT Jan 11: Broadband Webinar: Safety-qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Program

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The Office of Broadband Development reports…

Broadband Webinar: Safety-qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Program

Tuesday, February 11, 10am-12pm  

Join the Office of Broadband Development (OBD) and the Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) in this 2-hour webinar event to learn more about the Safety-qualified Underground Telecommunications Installer Program.  

DLI’s Sean O’Neil (Director of Licensing & Enforcement, Construction Codes and Licensing Division) and Don Sivigny (Supervisor/Education, Rules, Codes, and Grants programs) will be presenting on the program, timelines, and hold audience Q+A. The webinar will be recorded and made available after the event on the OBD webinar’s webpage.

OPPORTUNITY: Open seat on Launch Minnesota Advisory Board

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The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State reports…

The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State (OSS) is providing notice that various state boards, councils, and committees are now accepting applications for open seats.

The newest vacancies are listed below. The complete list of 720 seats can be found on the OSS Open Positions webpage. Click on the hyperlinks to learn more about the respective boards and their positions. Or use the search fields to search for a specific board or position.

There is at least one position that might of interest to readers…

Launch Minnesota Advisory Board
Vacancies: 1 Seat – Private Business Representative (entrepreneurs, large businesses, industry organizations, investors, and private small business assistance providers, Greater Minnesota or Metro Area)

What is the human infrastructure of broadband? Ask the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society

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The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society looks at the human infrastructure of broadband. In other words, the people who help other people use technology. It’s a good reminder that technology itself always necessary but often not sufficient to improving digital equity. It will be interesting to see what comes through this perspective…

The human infrastructure of broadband helps people—including, but not limited to, traditionally marginalized groups—access and make meaningful use of broadband. Whether it is a librarian helping a veteran fill out an online benefits application at a public computer, a digital navigator assisting a senior citizen in signing up for affordable home broadband, a digital skills trainer teaching social media privacy in Spanish, or a device refurbisher helping students find devices to use at home—all comprise the human infrastructure of broadband.

The term “infrastructure” underlines that the work of these librarians, digital navigators, digital skills trainers, device refurbishers, and others is foundational. The work of connecting people to devices, broadband service, and skills is the undergirding that will allow a digital society and economy to flourish and benefit us all.

 

The Human Infrastructure of Broadband At Work: The Three Cs

As part of our research, we analyzed the goals of the organizations that formed the human infrastructure of broadband. We found projects that either are centrally concerned with digital equity in and of itself or focus on digital equity because it is instrumental to achieving broader social goals. The two program models, core and complementary, categorize projects according to this difference in mission. We also found programs that brought together multiple organizations. The coalition program model may not provide direct services but helps coordinate work, pool resources, and leverage collective capacity, particularly to advocate for their members. The organizations that make up a coalition may be classified as core or complementary, but assembled together, they focus on digital equity. Delineating these models and their subtypes clarifies their comparative advantages and limitations and points to avenues for garnering resources and support.

To provide concrete examples of core, complementary, and coalition models, we are releasing a series of organizational profiles that delve deeply into how these program models and their subtypes function, the problems they are best suited to solve or populations they are best suited to reach, and the support they need to succeed. The profiles are diverse in terms of sources of funding, geographic location, and tenure in the digital inclusion field.

 

MN 2024 Broadband Task Force report: Affordability and Digital Equity , Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development and Mapping, Policy, and Funding

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The Minnesota 2024 Broadband Task Force report is available on the Office of Broadband Development site. From the letter from the chair…

While Minnesota has made significant progress toward expanding broadband access, challenges persist. More than 162,000 households lack access to basic broadband speeds of 25/3 Mbps, and an additional 229,000 remain underserved without access to 100/20 Mbps speeds. With the discontinuation of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), nearly 245,000 low-income households risk losing essential access to high-speed internet, further exacerbating the digital divide. Workforce shortages, permitting delays, and policy gaps, including the lack of sales tax exemptions for broadband materials, are compounding these challenges, particularly in rural areas where deployment costs are highest.

The recommendations in this report outline a clear path forward to ensure equitable broadband access across Minnesota. Key actions include reinstating a program similar to the ACP, supporting local workforce training initiatives, streamlining permitting processes, and addressing funding gaps to meet the state’s broadband goals by 2026. Sustaining and expanding programs like the Line Extension Connection Program will ensure that no community is left behind in this critical effort.

From the executive summary…

To address these critical challenges, the Task Force urges the Governor and Legislature to act on the following priorities:

Affordability and Digital Equity

  • Reinstate a Program Similar to ACP: Develop a statewide program or advocate for federal solutions to provide affordable broadband access, targeting low-income households.
  • Modernize Federal Lifeline Benefits: Support reform to increase the Lifeline subsidy to match ACP levels—$30 for most households and $75 for those on Tribal lands.
  • Support Digital Literacy: Standardize digital literacy definitions across agencies and fund Digital Navigators for anchor institutions to teach digital skills and connect residents to resources. Create a searchable digital literacy resource directory available in multiple languages and accessible formats. Provide greater opportunities for partner organizations to build capacity, and work to strengthen existing relationships.

Economic Opportunity and Workforce Development

  • Build Local Training Pipelines: Invest in programs through DEED to train broadband technicians, splicers, and engineers, focusing on local talent development.
  • Incentivize Best Practices: Encourage grant recipients to implement workforce best practices outlined in Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116J.395, ensuring jobs created are family-supporting with fair wages and benefits.
  • Promote K-12 and Higher Education Collaboration: Develop Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs with Minnesota schools and colleges to address broadband labor shortages.

Mapping, Policy, and Funding

  • Support Statewide Mapping: Fund ongoing mapping initiatives to ensure accuracy in identifying unserved and underserved areas. Conduct a post-BEAD evaluation to measure program success and remaining gaps.

  • Address Sales Tax Barriers: Enact legislation clarifying that broadband materials (fiber and conduit) qualify for sales tax exemption, reducing costs for high-speed deployment.

  • Sustain the Line Extension Program: Provide continued funding in 2025 to connect smaller groups or individual homes, avoiding project delays as BEAD funding rolls out.

  • Expand Local Capacity: Establish a fund for local governments and nonprofits to hire digital prosperity experts. These experts would assist with broadband planning, grant applications, and outreach in underserved communities.

They did a cost analysis of a few broadband development scenarios…

CTC Technology and Energy, a consulting firm who has performed similar analysis for other states, was selected to complete the cost-gap analysis. CTC used CostQuest data, NTIA data, and data from OBD’s past state Border to-Border and Line Extension Connection Program grant rounds to perform a set of cost modeling exercises. CTC’s findings were:  1) to cover every location in Minnesota with fiber would require $2.08 Billion in funding;  2) to reach all BEAD-eligible locations with the state’s allocated funding of $628 Million, the optimal technology mix is 90.8% fiber, 0.7% fixed wireless, and 8.5% satellite.7 Further, CTC found that an “incumbent expansion” model scenario results in less required funding than new entrants, largely due to incumbent cost benefits around existing network infrastructure, pole attachments, existing conduit, etc. CTC’s analysis also determined that there are small numbers of extremely remote and high cost areas that may require up-to $64,000 in funding per location.

They look at a Blandin report from 2017 that  looked at impact of public investment in broadband on the local economy and more.

Trends Rural Minnesotans can expect in the tech industry

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The Park Rapids Enterprise looks at Trends Minnesotans can expect in the tech industry. There is one question targeting rural Minnesota…

Q: How can rural communities remain competitive in the tech industry?

Investing in robust digital infrastructure, such as high-speed internet, is critical for rural communities – from supporting remote work and digital education to telehealth services. For example, initiatives like Minnesota’s Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program are actively working to close the digital divide by expanding internet access in underserved rural areas.

Additionally, rural communities can foster local talent by partnering with educational institutions and tech companies to provide training in emerging technologies like AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing. Encouraging a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship can attract tech firms and remote workers, enhancing the community’s economic resilience and global competitiveness.

MN Broadband Task Force Jan 2025: unveiling the MN broadband annual task report

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The MN Broadband Task Fore met to discuss the annual report. Unfortunately, the audio was not good for the first half of the meeting. I’ve done the best I can to follow the conversation. It looks like they got three legislators to attend the meeting; one attended remotely.

There was a quick update on the upcoming legislative session, which is very unsettled as the makeup of the legislature is still being decided.

Agenda (I’ve posted any slides below.) Continue reading →

Senator Putnam announces subcommittee on Veterans as part of Senate Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development Committee

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The Minnesota DFL reports on a change to the Seante Committee…

Sunday, Senator Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud) announced the expansion of his Committee to now oversee Veterans issues. The Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development Committee will also establish a dedicated Subcommittee on Veterans when state lawmakers open the new legislative session on Tuesday, January 14th.

 

EVENT Jan 13: MN Broadband Task Force Jan 2025 meeting

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From the

Governor’s Task Force on Broadband

Monday January 13, 2025

10:00 a.m. – 12:20 p.m.

Centennial Office Building, Ladyslipper room

658 Cedar St.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

OR

Microsoft Teams Need help? Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 223 569 996 305

Passcode: BL7Uq3EW

Dial in by phone +1 651-395-7448,,517724186# United States, Minneapolis Find a local number

Phone conference ID: 517 724 186#

Join on a video conferencing device Tenant key: mn@m.webex.com

Video ID: 118 751 942 5 More info For organizers: Meeting options | Reset dial-in PIN

Agenda

10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. Welcome

Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband

10:05 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Task Force Annual Report and Legislative updates with State Representatives

Senator Putnam, Chair Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development

Representative Anderson, Chair Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development

Representative Hansen, Chair Agriculture, Broadband, and Rural Development

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:05 a.m. Approval of minutes from December 2024 Task Force Meeting

11:05 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Office of Broadband Development Overview + BEAD and Digital Opportunity Updates

Bree Maki, Executive Director, OBD

Diane Wells, Deputy Director, OBD

Hannah Buckland, Digital Equity Program Lead, OBD

11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Legislative update for 2025

12:00 p.m. – 12:20 p.m. Other Business, Feedback on 2024, February 2025 Meeting Plans, Wrap-up

Benton outlines reasons Congress should revisit strategies for affordable broadband

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The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society outlines reasons Congress should make affordable broadband a priority in 2025…

The ACP’s purpose was well-founded. The program addressed the main cause of the digital divide: internet service is too expensive for low-income households.

The ACP was evenly distributed. ACP benefits helped people across rural and urban areas and Republican and Democratic districts.

The ACP was well-targeted. The program primarily helped households who needed it most. Most of the households enrolled in ACP because they participated in other assistance programs, like Medicaid, SNAP, and Lifeline. That meant their annual incomes were generally at or below $20,000.

The ACP’s impact benefits everyone, regardless of income. The program promoted investment in broadband infrastructure, benefiting everyone whether they participated in the ACP or not.

The ACP was popular: The program was user-friendly, got people online for the first time, and was integral to America’s technological future. For all these reasons, the ACP had overwhelming support among voters, advocates, industry, state officials, and, as we noted, Members of Congress.

In 2024, Congress dropped the ball on affordable broadband. But in this new year, in this new Congress, we need to connect everyone.

EVENT Jan 16: States and the Future of Antitrust: An ILSR Virtual Event

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Looks like an interesting webinar from the Institute for Local Self Reliance and features MN State Attorney General Keith Ellison…

How State Policymakers Can Take On Monopolies and Rebuild Local Economies in 2025 and Beyond
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
3:00 – 4:15 pm ET (2-3:45 CST)

Join the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) and the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), along with leading policymakers, experts, and advocates for a virtual event on how states can strengthen enforcement of existing antitrust laws and advance new legislative reforms.

The past four years saw a major push by state and federal leaders to rein in outsized corporate power and safeguard consumers, workers, farmers, and small businesses from monopoly abuse. Together, state and federal antitrust enforcers, in collaboration with communities harmed by monopoly power, have blocked a supermarket megamerger, challenged healthcare monopolies, taken action against corporate landlords accused of colluding to raise rents, and more.

The program includes a fireside chat with Attorneys General Keith Ellison (Minnesota) and Kris Mayes (Arizona) moderated by Stacy Mitchell, Co-Executive Director at ILSR. This will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A, led by Ron Knox, Senior Researcher and Policy Advocate at ILSR, featuring state officials and advocates working in diverse communities across the country as they share strategies for fostering fairer markets—and winning.

  • Ida Eskamani, Senior Director for Legislative Affairs | State Innovation Exchange 
  • Tammie Hetrick, President and CEO | Washington Food Industry Association
  • J.D. Scholten, State Representative | Representing 1st District, Iowa State Legislature

Register Here!

Congrats to Arvig on 75th anniversary in Telecom/Broadband

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Arvig shares…

In the early 1990s, Allen Arvig heard rumblings about a relatively obscure, largely untested, and somewhat clunky new technology.

In the telecommunications industry at the time, it was common to hear of promising innovations, even if they didn’t all live up to the hype. This particular technology, in its own right, was still unproven—and from a business standpoint at least—risky.

But if you kept an ear to the ground, as Arvig did, the chatter about this fledgling new development kept getting louder. So Arvig, a seasoned executive at the helm of a family-owned phone company, kept listening.

As time would tell, it’s a good thing he did.

This year, Arvig—the company Allen’s parents, Royale and Eleanor, purchased in October 1950—will celebrate 75 years. For the independent, Perham, Minn.-based company, It’s a milestone marked by a transformation from a small, rural telephone company to one of the nation’s largest independent broadband providers.

However, it’s hard to make such a leap without a few bold moves throughout the company’s history, including a pivotal bet in the 1990s on a relatively unknown technology—the internet.

You can learn the whole story on their website.

Farmington residents have concerns about proposed data center (Dakota County)

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Pioneer Press reports on a data enter in Dakota County…

A group of Farmington residents is suing the city in an attempt to stop a cluster of data centers from being constructed near their neighborhoods.

An injunction filed Nov. 29 has paused negotiations between the city of Farmington and data center developer Tract, but residents hope to put a permanent stop to the data center park.

The Farmington City Council recently approved a final plat and planned-unit development for Tract to build up to 12 data center buildings spanning more than 2.5 million square feet across 340 acres. At full buildout, Tract expects the project to approach $5 billion.

It’s interesting to see the community’s reaction to the proposed data center…

The lawsuit alleges that if the project moves forward, it will negatively impact the physical and mental wellbeing of nearby residents, worsen air quality and noise pollution and result in “unprecedented water usage and electricity,” according to court documents.

Represented by Chris Renz of Minneapolis law firm Chestnut Cambronne, the plaintiffs in the suit include a handful of Farmington residents and the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development, a group of more than 350 nearby residents who are “concerned about the proposed technology park,” according to the group’s Facebook page.

One of the main points in the lawsuit alleges that Farmington officials were prohibited from rezoning the parcels without consent from Castle Rock Township due to the Orderly Annexation Agreement.