The MN Broadband Task Force met at TelCom Construction Training Center in Clearwater Minnesota. We heard from HR and Training staff and got to see various telecom construction tasks in the field. The hosts were very friendly and nice. It’s always interesting to see how holes are made, and fiber is deployed. Also the subgroups met for the first time to plan for their sections of the annual Task Force report.

10:00 a.m. – 10:05 a.m. Welcome Teddy Bekele, Chair, Minnesota Governor’s Task Force on Broadband

10:05 a.m. – 10:10 a.m.  Approval of minutes from September Task Force Meeting
Done

10:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  TelCom Construction Presentation and Facility Tour

Questions
How do you get new employees?
They have 4-5 people actively recruit for new staff.

11:30 a.m. – 11:40 a.m. Break

11:40 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Office of Broadband Development Overview Bree Maki, Executive Director, OBD
No update from OBD

11:55 a.m.— 12:25 p.m.  Subgroup Work Sessions
I tried to capture on of the two subgroups in the room but with ambient noise made that very difficult. This was the initial meeting of the subgroups and primarily this was brainstorming about what to look at in the annual report and what resources would be best to include. I overheard questions about BEAD, mapping, wireless versus wireline.

12:25 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Other Business, November’s Meeting Plans, Wrap-up