From the Office of Broadband Development…

The Broadband Task Force will be meeting on Wednesday, August 6 from 2:30-4pm in Redwood County at the Minnesota Farmfest. This meeting will be held in-person and is open to anyone from the public to attend, however, tickets are required to enter Farmfest. Members of the public with questions about attending should email deed.broadband@state.mn.us or call 651-259-7610 no later than Monday July 28. 

More information on this and past meetings can be found on the Broadband Task Force webpage. 

The Tri State Neighbor also mentions it…

As Farmfest gears up to welcome thousands of attendees to southern Minnesota, one panel will zoom in on a challenge that transcends state lines and fencerows: reliable broadband access.

The Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband will host a listening session during Farmfest’s second day, Wednesday, Aug. 6, bringing a multi-stakeholder group face-to-face with the very people most affected by poor rural connectivity.

The task force includes representatives from agriculture, education, health care, small business and broadband providers. They advise the governor’s office on how to close the state’s digital divide. At Farmfest, they’re looking to hear from farmers and rural residents themselves. “This work only matters if it reflects the lived reality of the communities we’re trying to serve,” said Teddy Bekele, Land O’Lakes executive and Task Force member.