This week I am at the NATOA (National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors) Conference in San Francisco.
Yesterday I was in a session where Terre Hauser of the City of Roseville described how collaboration between Ramsey County communities with shared IT services. Shared IT services also enables collaboration on public safety, engineering and other service. Cities get better services, better IT functionality and lower prices.
We are pleased to announce a new MIRC (Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities) funding opportunity that is open to communities throughout Minnesota, whether you are currently involved with the MIRC project or not. The Digital Inclusion Community Partnership Program builds on the demonstrated success of some of our MIRC communities and PCs for People collaborations where targeted segments of the community (those without computers, skills and broadband access) overcome their barriers to broadband adoption. Any community, county or region can submit an application.
The RFP for this program can be found online. Grants will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. The next grant deadline will be September 1. A 1 : 1 cash match (non-federal funds) is required. Ideally, we hope see applications that include local broadband providers providing discounts and other incentives as match as well as collaboration with local CAP agencies, Head Start Programs or agencies that work with older adults. We hope to see some real creativity in the applications that we receive.
Contact me with any questions. (bill@communitytechnologyadvisors.com)
This week I’m in New York for the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) conference. The ICF is the framework that we have been using in our Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) initiative. It helps communities promote economic development through a five-segment strategy: 1) broadband, 2) innovation, 3) knowledge workers, 4) digital inclusion and 5) market and advocacy.
The big announcement here is the launch of the new Centers of Excellence project. The project is designed to brief nearly 100 Intelligent Community leaders who are part of what ICF calls its “Alumni,” on topics of key importance related to broadband and IT implementation and effective development of local economic and social activities.
Here are some of the other highlights I’ve heard:
The decision makers are key but leadership is a self-directed choice. Today’s realities are leading to trends that focus on striving for self-sufficiently. We’re looking at benchmark and everyone is concerned with the bottom line in terms of costs and impact. With an aging population, health in the revolutionary community has been a driver.
The Mayor of Chattanooga talked about 1 GB Internet. Broadband is a business attractor in their area but it took leadership, community engagement, vision. Chattanooga is an old industry town with rail, river, and a highway hub. Community leadership brought on young people and the project has been successful. They have 20 percent penetration after just a few months. They are not the low cost provider; rather their quality of service drives customer adoption. The network self-sufficiency just with energy management and savings again has been a driver. Big businesses have also been drivers – Unum wants home workers with big bandwidth. BCBS consolidated operations in chat. These goals have required local broadband.
The Dublin Ohio row ordinance resulted in a multiple conduit approach. The result was Dub link. In Dublin, conduit facilitated rapid deployment and competition. They have paid lots of attention to startups and entrepreneurs. They are starting to see emerging work on global trade.
An update from Eindhoven introduced us to a cool updated video around applications. Change has been motivating. They needed to move from a one company town to more diverse economy. Phillips lost 30,000 jobs. New collaboration, bottom up approach. Broadband has brought: 1) open innovation, 2) Research to Knowledge to products, and 3) lots of small companies supporting big companies. BRAINPORT funds innovation. Brainport is an international group that collaboratively attracts brainpower. Also they are working with kids on science and innovation.
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to meet with Project FINE in Winona. They are a nonprofit organization that helps newcomers integrate into the community. They provide foreign language interpreters and translators as well as opportunities for education, information, referral, and empowerment for immigrants and refugees. With funding through MIRC (Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities), they have also started with broadband adoption and computer literacy programs.
They have received donated computers and money from community partners. They have computer science majors who are tutoring FINE clients. Currently they offer training in the classes, but they have plans to expand training to people’s homes. The response has been terrific; people come early to the classes and want more. One attendee offered a nice testament to FINE…
“I am thankful for the class. I have nothing but positive things to say about Project FINE. I was able to get my Drivers License and employment through them. I’m not sure where to get the services if there is no Project FINE. I am so thankful to them.” – Cha Lee
Winona has become a hub for New Americans. Fatima Said, Project Fine manager, is Bosnian. There are many clients from the Hispanic and Hmong communities. Folks from the Hispanic and Hmong communities take classes either separately in their native language or together in an English-language class. While Project Fine works extensively with these groups, the computer/internet classes have been the first ones with great interaction between the two communities.
So as if often the case the curriculum and primary goals have been based on Digital Inclusion – but the results have expanded beyond technology. There was even a story of a Hmong family who gave an old washer/dryer to a Hispanic family as a result of interaction at the class.
It’s just one of the stories of success that we’re starting to see with the MIRC projects.
I was happy to hear from Brent Legg at Connected Nation about updated broadband maps for Redwood County. At our first countywide broadband meeting, I showed the maps to a large group of providers and community leaders. Having the maps is a great advantage so that any discussion can be based on quality information.
Due to some changes in ownership of telephone exchanges, the maps were not completely accurate. Julie Rath, Redwood Area Economic Developer worked with Brent Legg and the affected provider to get up to date information submitted. We are looking forward to seeing the revised maps!
Thanks to Robert Bell of the Intelligent Community Forum for his generous praise of the leaders within our demonstration communities. At a meeting last week in Mora with community leaders just embarking on a broadband initiative, I was just reinforcing the need for local champions who are not only willing to stand up and promote the importance of broadband and technology-based economic development, but are then willing to take the next step and start working on it.
Our demonstration communities have funded a tremendous number and fascinating mix of projects with a wide number of public and private sector partners. Our project coordinators and their steering teams are champions – doing the hard work of rating projects, encouraging collaboration and asking partners to do more in exchange for the funding. It is great to see the national recognition for our project!
The National Rural Telecon Congress met last week in Mesa, AZ and the meeting was a very interesting gathering of folks discussing how to promote access and use of broadband in rural communities. I have been involved with the Congress for about 10 years and it was good to renew acquaintances with some of the other old-times. Many of the old-timers are affiliated with either land grant colleges or small non-profits. An infusion of new faces also occurred as the Congress made a strong effort to recruit those engaged with broadband mapping; these are mostly state government officials who shared their introductory language of “I have only been in this job for x months.”
The format of the Congress was very participatory. Over the three days, people could choose to join in on discussions on five topics dealing with converged technology, collaborative engagement, governance, anchor institutions and mapping. I was a subject expert in the collaborative engagement group. Our group was the largest to begin with and grew over the two days of discussion.
Key themes emerged – collaboration and messaging were two that rose to the top. We talked both about infrastructure deployment and building demand/community education.
One of the goals at the beginning of the conference was to build a best practices toolkit for rural broadband advocates. By the end of the conference, that goal had been modified to develop a tool that would point people to the various existing toolkits. Some of the toolkits identified as best practice were the Blandin Foundation’s and resources created by E-North Carolina and the State of California.
Learn more at www.ruraltelecon.org.
I have been working with Dakota Future to develop a strategic link between business, education and government in Dakota County. In the last couple of years, we have been focusing on the broadband economic development framework created by the Intelligent Community Forum – and we happy to report that our efforts have been rewarded for our efforts.
Dakota County has been named a 2011 Smart 21 Global Intelligent Community by the Intelligent Community Forum. This marks the second consecutive year that Dakota County has received this honor. Two years ago, Dakota Future adopted the Intelligent Community framework and set a goal to be recognized as a Top Seven Intelligent Community.
Intelligent Communities develop broadband availability and use; create, attract and support knowledge workers; address digital inclusion; spur innovation in business and government; and effectively market the community to attract talent and investment.
Over the past year, Dakota Future has coordinated Intelligent Community efforts that engaged more than 75 leaders from business, education and government. Dakota Future and other stakeholders are working to achieve the goals set by these leadership groups in each of the five intelligent community pillars. Results include the installation of wireless Internet in Dakota CDA housing, a business innovation and branding study conducted by the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management, and inter-community discussions aimed at streamlining telecommunications infrastructure permitting processes.
Sharon LaComb, vice-president of Dakota County Technical College and a Dakota Future board member, promoted the use of the work groups to achieve results. “To compete in this world economy takes long term vision and continued efforts. We need to continue to be smart and work hard to attract and maintain our Dakota County quality of life.”
Dakota County is in contention to be named a Top Seven Intelligent Community and Intelligent Community of the Year. Over the next 60 days, Dakota Future will coordinate efforts to submit a compelling final application for this global competition. Stockholm Sweden and Suwon South Korea are the 2009 and 2010 Intelligent Communities of the Year, respectively.
“To attract investment and talent from outside Minnesota, people need to know that Dakota County exists,” said LaDonna Boyd of Dakota Electric Association. “This puts us on the world map with other innovative communities. This honor documents that we have what it takes to be a high technology locations for small and large companies.”
Last week I was part of a webinar with Broadband US TV: Spurring Adoption and Use of Broadband with Jim Baller and Marty Stern. You can access the archived video online, although you will need to register to access the archive. (Registration is free.) At the end of the first part (starting around minute 63), you can see a video made by the Blandin Foundation that highlights Lac qui Parle County, Grand Marais/Cook County/Gunflint Trail and Deer River Schools in Itasca County. They all did a great job of describing how broadband can make a break a community. Vignettes included
I spoke about the Minnesota Internet Rural Communities (MIRC) project in the second part of the session (near minute 6). I stressed the importance of local leadership and the power of a collaboration to support those leaders. At Blandin we’ve learn that the best support we can offer is to help local leaders through convening, education and technical assistance. The MIRC project exemplifies that approach where each demonstration community has the freedom to create a and select their own projects, yet collaboration is happening between the project partners and with their partners in implementing their portions of the project. Our end goal is that the MIRC project creates more permanent alignment amongst our partners around the broadband access and use issue.
Today I attended MTA’s Telework seminar. It provided a foundation on which to build some local or statewide efforts by MTA members. I could see a number of economic developers wanting to join in a collaborative effort. As I listened to the presentation, I came up with some ideas that might help get a local teleworker program started in a community.
Telework is a great focus for local telcos and EDA folks – because we share the same goal – rural economic vitality. Blandin also shares this goal and there will be plenty of opportunity for telcos and EDA folks to talk further at the Blandin Broadband Conference next week (Oct 13-14) IN Baxter. We have left time and space for attendees to pick up these types of ideas and run.
Last week, I was fortunate to participate in the ribbon cutting for the Lac qui Parle Computer Commuter mobile computer lab. There was a great crowd to tour the bus and try the new laptops before listening to the presentations, highlighted by Congressman Collin Peterson, chair of the House Agriculture Committee.
Pam Lehmann, EDA Coordinator, thanked all of the project partners, including Blandin Foundation which provided financial support in addition to that provided by the TDF Foundation of Washington DC. The project leaders will establish a schedule for the mobile lab with regular stops in at least six communities around the county. Mary Quick, the Computer Community coordinator will provide computer classes and one to one assistance to anyone who wants help in learning how to use the computers.
Suwon, South Korea was named the Intelligent Community of the Year last Friday. They won over the other six finalists, including some of my favorites – Dublin, Ohio; Tallinn, Estonia; and Eindhoven, Netherlands. Stockholm, Sweden was the 2009 Intelligent Community of the Year. Suwon is just 15 miles from Seoul. South Korea has now produced three of the last five Intelligent Community winners.
What I find most fascinating about this competition and these communities is how it reveals the culture of the participating communities and countries. “Happy Suwon” is the marketing tagline for the winning community. “Fast-fast” is their operating style. They get input from the people, make decisions, do things, measure results, move on. Always fast-fast. Eindhoven and Tallinn are fiercely strategic and highly encouraging of collaboration and innovation. The US communities seem more haphazard and free-flowing. In the European and Asian communities, there seems less conflict about the proper government role in moving a community forward. They seem to talk more about what should be done rather than to argue the proper approach to getting it done.
All of these communities put a strong emphasis on world class infrastructure – telecommunications, transportation, and education systems. They are working hard to put these in place and to make use of them to increase their economic competitiveness.
Participating in the Intelligent Community Forum’s Building the Broadband Economy has been very interesting and fun. Last night I sat with people from across Canada and learned about the emphasis that their leaders are putting on broadband as an economic development strategy – from the Atlantic Provinces, to Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. They saw the support of their top government leaders as essential to their successful efforts. On behalf of Dakota Future, I was pleased to sign a Memorandum of Understanding that formalizes a culture of collaboration between communities adopting the Intelligent Community approach.
Today I co-facilitated a session entitled “Five Burning Issues in Rural Communities“. Our five issues were demographics, gaps in broadband services and the difficulty in forming effective partnerships with private sector providers, funding for infrastructure, digital inclusion and application development, creating a culture of use and the many barriers to application adoption for problem solving, and leadership. It turns out that the list from the urban group was amazingly similar!
I am awed by the strategic thinking and doing going on around the world as communities and country’s strive to create and maintain competitive economies. In the same way, people from around the world are very interested in the Blandin Foundation’s approach to our MN Intelligent Rural Communities project. I have been asked many detailed questions and have received very positive feedback. I look forward to reporting lots of progress next year!
Given a chance, what would you say to a top federal policy maker about rural broadband? I had my chance at the Broadband Properties Summit this week in Dallas with USDA Rural Utilities Services Administrator Jonathan Adelstein. I first saw him in the elevator and he asked me what I wanted to hear from him during his keynote. I asked him how we will get broadband to the countryside surrounding RBOC-served communities that have been CLEC’d by smaller independent companies who have cherry-picked the significant customer base in the town but are unable to overbuild the countryside. He told me that this was too hard of a question! As we got off the elevator, I saw that he was heading to the restaurant for breakfast alone. I overcame my natural shyness and asked him if I could join him and he welcomed me to his table. What followed was a very interesting discussion (at least for me!).
He was a very good questioner. We talked about the marvel of cooperatives as a model for rural broadband development. We talked about the appropriate scale for this type of cooperative development and whether new cooperatives could make it economically today as start-ups. Necessary scale versus local control – how does one find that balance. As Minnesota’s telecommunications providers get larger through acquisitions (CenturyLink purchasing Embarq and Qwest, growing independent telcos like ACS, Iowa Telecom and New Ulm Telephone), will the connection to the local community remain a priority?
The Broadband Properties Summit includes a focus on the business linkages between real estate development and telecom services. Telecom providers like ATT and Verizon pay real estate developers commission when tenants sign on with these providers. This got me thinking about if there was any real differences between an apartment building and a community? If communities are actively working to boost broadband adoption and subscriptions for community economic vitality, what is the proper role between communities and their providers on broadband promotion initiatives? I will be meeting with Minnesota’s telecom providers to discuss this very topic as we prepare to implement the Blandin Foundation’s MN Intelligent Community NTIA BTOP program.
Some great notes from Bill Coleman who attended the Broadband Summit in St Paul yesterday…
I attended a very interesting event yesterday at the James J. Hill Library in St. Paul. The setting was very appropriate for a community discussion on commerce and information. James J. Hill is one of Minnesota’s greatest financial giants – railroad man, banker, agricultural innovator – whose fortune is still benefitting Minnesotans today through the Northwest Area Foundation. The library closed its doors yesterday for the Summit, but was still serving customers through its incredible online collection of business information.
Yesterday’s broadband summit was funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation; its funds came from the founders of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Knight is extremely supportive of broadband initiatives as it links to information and democracy. Knight focuses on the communities on the 20 plus communities where the Knights owned newspapers.
It was very interesting to hear the Knight staff’s linkage between broadband, information, journalism and democracy. They have a new report “Informing Communities: Sustaining Democracy in the Digital Age.” The focus is on local information needs for a democratic society. You can find the report here: http://knightcomm.org
St. Paul and Ramsey County are exploring ways to connect public sector entities with a high capacity broadband network. In fact, they are in the final stages of selecting a vendor to move forward on this network that would also include a private sector service provider offering open access network services. They are also inviting other public sector entities into the discussion. But the Summit was not limited to the infrastructure side of the broadband topic. Digital inclusion was an important topic as well.
What are the community challenges? Examples include: county workers stifled by lack of bandwidth and an inability to do their jobs as a result; job applicants who cannot complete online job applications in the time limit set for library computer users; children racing to the library so as to be able to complete their homework. (As someone who works all over the state, this confirms the notion that broadband access is a statewide issue, not limited to the rural corners of the state.
A highlight of the event was to hear about what is happening in Miami/Dade County. Kim Marcelle, executive director of the Miami-Dade Broadband Coalition, talked about their efforts. They have seemingly created a unified initiative that includes strategies on connectivity, education, training, and computers and services for low-income residents. Their I-Net services are priced such that public sector entities receive robust services at affordable prices while still generating profits that fund their digital inclusion initiatives. Some of these include: “Rites of Passage” – a programs that provides computers and free Internet for low-income kids; “Beyond the Bell” – a program that provides customized online learning opportunities for kids that targets their specific needs. Google “elevate Miami” for an overview to a philosophy that links assistance to commitment. I also liked their strategy of sector roundtable discussions to discuss technology trends, connectivity and human resource needs. The most striking statement that came out of their education roundtable was “Kids with access to technology are different than kids without.”
Mayor Chris Coleman talked about St. Paul’s historic role as a transportation hub – for river traffic, for railroads, air and auto – and our need to ensure that we have what we need for Internet infrastructure and services. He stated that broadband is a critical infrastructure tied to the need to have the workforce that can exploit this asset for economic development. He stated that we cannot wait until the economic downturn is over or we will be too far behind those that are acting now.
Rick King, chair of the state broadband task force spoke about their report. I have heard him talk several times about the efforts of the task force and the report. Yesterday, he came up with a new analogy I think emerged as he was thinking about beaches in Miami! In essence, the task force has set the destination of ubiquitous 10 Mb broadband for our sailing ship of Minnesota. In a sail boat, one rarely sails in a straight line to the destination. Winds and currents affect navigation so while the specific route is unknown, the destination is. In light of this, I hope that Rick stays on as captain!
I think that the Summit was an excellent launch for the Ramsey County/City of St. Paul community. The next steps will be critical for keeping the momentum going. The group should heed Miami’s Marcelle challenge to keep all key stakeholders engaged on all broadband elements. Reaching out aggressively, moving forward continuously. Strong leadership will be required. Good luck!!