An invitation from the Blandin Foundation…

Our annual broadband conference, Border to Border Broadband: Transforming Minnesota, at Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd is now just weeks away! If you haven’t reserved lodging yet, please do so by Tuesday, October 9. Call 1-800-642-5363 or click here to reserve online. Lodging availability is not guaranteed after October 9.

This year’s event will showcase and celebrate the transformative power of community passion fueled by high-speed broadband networks. We’re starting out strong the morning Tuesday, October 23 with two options of sessions guaranteed to inform and engage.

Broadband 101 is back! This session will improve your ability to make smart decisions and create partnerships to deliver wired and wireless broadband technologies. Jason Dale of Cooperative Network Services, Doug Dawson of CCG Consulting, Diane Kruse of NEO Connect, and Mark Mrla of Finley Engineering will share their expertise in helping leaders determine the best solutions for broadband infrastructure in their communities.

Approaches to Broadband-Based Economic Development. Broadband is essential to a thriving community – but it doesn’t work in a vacuum. Gary Johnson of Paul Bunyan Communications, Tom Lambrecht of Great River Energy, Richard Stuart of TenBelow coworking space, and Brian Zelenak of Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative will share their experience supporting tech-based economic development strategies along with tips and advice for engaging with providers around broadband fueled economic development.

Check out the conference webpage for more details, including a detailed preliminary agenda, and register today!

I want to share the invitation from Blandin Foundation to the upcoming broadband conference. It gives a nice introduction to some of the speakers…

We hope to see you at Border to Border Broadband: Transforming Minnesota, our annual broadband conference, October 23-24 at Madden’s on Gull Lake in Brainerd. This year’s event will showcase and celebrate the transformative power of community passion fueled by high-speed broadband networks.

Inspiration can come from many places, and we look to fuel your passion for broadband and community with our keynote presentations. Their messages differ, but both offer hope and reassurance that this work is worth it!

Tuesday evening you will hear from Alison Grant, one of the authors of Purdue University study that projects $12 billion in statewide net benefits of building broadband to all areas served by Indiana’s Rural Electric Member Cooperatives, which cover 80% of the landmass. This means that for every dollar invested in rural broadband infrastructure, approximately $3-$4 are returned to the rural areas in economic or social benefits. From a societal perspective, rural broadband investment clearly pays. However, system costs will not be covered by customer revenue alone, so external assistance is required. Preview the Purdue University study here.

If digital equity is what drives your passion, you won’t want to miss the Wednesday morning presentation by Lisa Peterson-de la Cueva from St. Paul Neighborhood Network-Community Technology Empowerment Project. Promoting digital access and inclusion may have never felt more urgent, but achieving digital equity in an increasingly fragile democracy can often feel daunting. Lessons gleaned from the field and from social movements show how we are uniquely positioned to push for change and tell the story of a society in which technology is a tool for equal participation.

Check out the conference webpage for more details, including a detailed preliminary agenda, and register today!