Category Archives: Broadband Applications

Dakota County Chamber of Commerce supports AI and data centers

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The Sun This Week (aka Hometown Source) posts a letter to the editor from Jon M. Althoff, chief mission officer at the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce…

AI is already part of our daily lives. It helps physicians detect diseases earlier, enables manufacturers to reduce waste and downtime, assists farmers in maximizing crop yields, and allows small businesses to serve customers more efficiently. From local retailers to Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Dakota County, AI is becoming as essential to competitiveness as the internet was a generation ago.

Minnesota businesses understand this. According to recent surveys, 87% of Minnesota small businesses are optimistic about the role technology will play in their future growth. They recognize what history has repeatedly shown: The businesses that embrace innovation are the ones that survive and prosper.

The same is true for states (and foreign countries, too).

Across our great country, governors and legislatures are competing aggressively for AI investment, advanced manufacturing, research facilities, and the data centers that power them. These projects bring billions of dollars in private investment, local school and nonprofit grants, strengthen local tax bases, support construction and skilled trades, and create opportunities for suppliers ranging from electricians and engineering firms to restaurants, trucking companies, and local service businesses.

Some point out that data centers employ fewer permanent workers than traditional manufacturing facilities. That observation is accurate — but incomplete.

A modern airport doesn’t employ everyone who benefits from it. Neither does a highway, an electric grid, or a port.

Practical look at Minnesota Government Data Practices Act in the Age of AI

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The League of Minnesota Cities has compiled helpful information for local governments looking at responsibility with AI…

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become more common, Minnesota cities are exploring how these technologies can improve efficiency, customer service, and daily operations. From drafting meeting minutes more quickly to generating city-branded graphics and designs, AI offers clear benefits.

For local governments, however, these opportunities come with important legal obligations, particularly under the Minnesotan Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA). Understanding how the MGDPA applies to AI use is essential for cities seeking to leverage new technologies while maintaining public trust and compliance.

The article addresses the following topics:

  • Government data defined
  • Is AI data public or nonpublic?
  • Entering data into AI tools
  • Impact on data requests
  • Practical considerations

Even if you aren’t with a local government agency or office, I think the practical advice helps under the implications of using AI yourself.

Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce hosts Pine Island data center discussion for local businesses (Goodhue County)

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KTTC reports…

 A restraining order has halted construction on Google’s proposed data center in Pine Island, but supporters of the project are continuing to make their case to the business community.

The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session Wednesday for several dozen business leaders from across the region. The event, located at the Mayo Civic Center, featured a panel of representatives from Ryan Companies, Google, Xcel Energy, and the Pine Island City Council. They answered questions from the chamber and audience about the project, known as Project Skyway.

Sounds like it was business-focused…

The session covered economic, energy, and environmental questions surrounding the project. The city has said the development would direct millions of dollars toward the community and local schools.

With no representation from another view…

However, for a project that has faced significant community pushback, Dokken noted the session lacked an opposing voice.

The Post Bulletin also described the meeting…

Thursday’s info session sponsored by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce was billed as an opportunity to set the record straight on the highly contentious issue of data centers.

And it brought together a rare assemblage of representatives from Google, Xcel Energy, the Pine Island government and Ryan Companies all in the same public space. All are major players are in the data center project in Pine Island.

The project is currently on hold after a Goodhue County District judge issued a temporary restraining order halting construction. The lawsuit was brought by the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, a nonprofit that is seeking a stronger environmental review of the project.

During the hour-long discussion, panelists highlighted how the “spread of misinformation” has made it difficult to keep the community informed about the project. Open houses have helped get the word out, but their impact hasn’t always been lasting.

Project developers held two public open houses during an eight-month approval process, and feedback from those sessions was used to adjust planning documents, said Jared Olson, vice president of site design for Ryan Companies, the developer behind the Project Skyway data center project.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Notes: Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting (July 10) MN DCYF

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Today I attended the online-based Technology Advisory Council (TAC) Full Council Meeting. The TAC is a permanent body to advise Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and executive branch agencies on strategic information technology initiatives and service delivery. Meetings are open to the public. I have taken notes on the presentation only.

They heard from DCYF Integration Layer – Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). They are working on modernizing technology with a goal to adapt a whole family approach. They want to give staff more time to spend with the families.

Notes/Video/Slides from Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF)

Technology Advisory Council – Full Council Meeting:

  • Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
  • Time: 8:30 – 11 a.m. CDT
  • Location: Virtual Meeting – email tac.mnit@state.mn.us for information on how to join the meeting.

From the chat:

  • Here’s a link to the Chapter Law for the Human Services Modernization Fund, Council, and Commission: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2026/0/Session+Law/Chapter/120/
  • Here’s a link to the Chapter Law for the Human Services Modernization Fund, Council, and Commission: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/2026/0/Session+Law/Chapter/120/
  • Technology should be leveraged to allow enrollees to report changes electronically with a no wrong door approach. Clients are expected to know all their different workers/teams and call on the phone, often with long hold times, to report changes. Audits have shown clients do try to report changes, but often the changes only get entered into one system/program.
    Answer: yes
  • To me, it seems that the “Policy Engine” would be the hardest thing to design. But the use case is so common that surely tons of work has been done on this topic across the country.
    Answer: We have learned from legacy system and what has happened in other states. We look at state and federal parameters. Policy support is key.
  • Is this pilot connected to the SNAP benefits project?
    Answer: They will
  • Any specific way to volunteer/register for some of these different projects?
    Answer: not an immediate opportunity but good idea
  • Is there an advisory committee that could be used to provide input/volunteer?  Mtgs to attend
    Answer: not yet
  • Not just keyboard only. Workers must memorize thousands of secret codes. Update the STAT MEMI
    But in the defense of green screen, it does work well for quick keyboard entry instead of a mouse….
    https://cms1files.revize.com/assocofminnesotacos/publications/MnCountiesMagazineWINTER2025.pdf?t=202601221049170&t=202601221049170
  • A challenge will be getting good data
  • How is the search from the Chief Data Officer?
    We are creating a new position. Usually comes through the Governor’s Budget, which isn’t helpful this year. The legislature provided MNIT with some one-time funding.
  • Do you need new legislation to get the position?
    We need a budget order and one-time funding will likely not work.
  • Home site for accessing previous Technology Advisory Council (TAC)/Blue Ribbon Council on IT (BRC-IT) reports, along with other information about the council including upcoming meetings, current appointed membership, etc. https://mn.gov/mnit/about-mnit/committees/tac.jsp

Minneapolis officials host conversation on data centers and zoning – includes video (Hennepin County)

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Minneapolis Times reports…

As Minneapolis moves toward a permanent zoning framework for data centers, City Council Members Elizabeth Shaffer and Michael Rainville convened a downtown community conversation aimed at separating large-scale fears from the smaller urban projects now being discussed for the city’s core.

Amid a looming municipal budget crisis and a rapidly shifting commercial real estate market, Minneapolis city leaders and industry experts gathered Thursday night to map out the future of urban data center development.

The “Community Conversation,” co-hosted by City Council Members Elizabeth Shaffer (Ward 7) and Michael Rainville (Ward 3) at the Public Service Building, arrived at a critical legislative juncture. Earlier that afternoon, the City Council passed a temporary moratorium on data center developments in a razor-thin vote. The pause is intended to give officials time to establish a permanent zoning framework, a process set to include 60 days of public engagement this summer with a final ordinance target date in mid-November 2026.

Carlton County Board will consider data center moratorium

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The Carlton Pine Journal reports…

The board will weigh a moratorium to pause data center construction for one year at the urging of grassroots organizers.

At the urging of grassroots organizers, the Cloquet County Board of Commissioners will consider a one-year moratorium on data center construction within the county.

On Tuesday, organizers with the Carlton County Land Stewards, which formed in opposition to Enbridge’s Line 3 project, filled the Carlton County Transportation Building to argue for the moratorium. The board subsequently voted to advance the proposed interim ordinance for further consideration at its July 14 meeting. The ordinance would pause data center construction — and authorize a study on whether additional regulation within the county would be required.

“There has not been a proposal yet for a data center in our county, but I believe it is in the county’s best interest to restrict the expansion and establishment of data centers for the development of property for a data center while the study is ongoing,” Commissioner Sue Zmyslony said at the workshop meeting.

…

The board will likely hold a public hearing on the moratorium in August, Berg said.

You can learn more about the Carlton County Board of Commissioners meetings online.

Rolls-Royce invests $24M in Mankato expansion in bid to profit from data center boom (Blue Earth)

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The MN Star Tribune reports…

As opposition to data centers swells across the state, this southern Minnesota city is getting a boost from the race to build them.

Rolls-Royce has invested $24 million to expand the Mankato factory where it builds generators used in data centers, hospitals and airports.

The expansion includes a 250,000‑square‑foot logistics center at its main plant in Mankato just north of Highway 14 and the promise of 100 new jobs. The company is investing $4.5 million at another site in Mankato that also produces generators.

The expansion by Rolls-Royce, a British manufacturer and military contractor that separated from the similarly named luxury car brand in 1973, is part of a bid to profit from the rise of the data center industry, which is hungry for electricity and relies on generators as backstops during power outages.

Companies across Minnesota are capitalizing on the rapid growth in data centers, even as many cities and counties are hitting the brakes on their development in the state. Mankato is considering its own moratorium on data centers at a City Council meeting Monday.

Eagan faces lawsuit over data center moratorium (Dakota County)

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Fox 9 reports…

A legal battle is taking shape in Eagan after the city’s decision to pause new data center development sparked a lawsuit and raised questions about local authorities over electricity regulation.

The article gives some history of the issue…

What we know:

In February, Eagan became the first city in Minnesota to pass a moratorium on data centers, giving itself a year to study the potential impacts of these facilities.

Eagan Capital, a data center owner, is now suing the city, arguing that Eagan does not have the authority to regulate electricity. The company points out that the moratorium makes exceptions for data centers that use less electricity.

According to the lawsuit, there are at least four data centers in Eagan, some of which date to the 1980s.

The data center owner is seeking $50,000 in damages from the city.

The other side:

The city did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Big picture view:

Several other Minnesota communities have also enacted temporary bans on data centers. After Eagan’s move, cities like Minneapolis and Carver, as well as Wright County and Inver Grove Heights, put similar moratoriums in place. In Inver Grove Heights, a developer has threatened to sue the city over its temporary ban.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Lawsuit alleges Mayo Clinic cuts corners with AI

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MPR News reports…

As medical behemoth Mayo Clinic continues to lead the way in incorporating artificial intelligence into clinical settings, a new lawsuit alleges that staff at the world-renowned hospital system had been skirting AI compliance rules and masking concerning error rates.

The civil action comes from former Mayo Clinic research director and AI compliance lead Traci Tamiko Eto, who sued her employer this week in federal court, saying she was retaliated against and fired after she blew the whistle on how the hospital’s rush to incorporate AI into their operations put patient care and privacy at risk.

Artur Davis, Eto’s attorney and a partner with the national law firm HKM Employment Attorneys LLC, told MPR News that this is a significant case, especially since it concerns the intimate and confidential patient data hospitals like Mayo Clinic have in their possession.

“If [people] care about the notion that AI has to be handled in a responsible manner, with integrity, and there have to be rules and guidelines, this is a case that should matter to you,” Davis said.

Davis said Mayo Clinic has 21 days to respond to the legal filing.

Mayo Clinic told MPR News Wednesday it is committed to the responsible development and deployment of AI and that privacy, security, transparency and compliance are embedded in its processes.

Elk River City Council denies data center application and considers moratorium (Sherburne)

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Data Center Dynamics reports…

Officials in Elk River, Minnesota, have denied a zoning application for a proposed data center project and are considering a year-long moratorium on new developments.

Swervo Development Corp. affiliate Elk River Capital was proposing to convert an existing 60,000-square-foot (5,575 sqm) industrial building at 19178 Industrial Blvd NW into a 33MW data center.

However, the Elk River City Council this week voted against an ordinance amendment that would have allowed for the project in the city’s “light industrial” zone. As reported by CBS, the council still needs to vote on a conditional use permit for the project, but the council has indicated it will likely deny the permit.

More about future plans…

This week’s meeting also saw the council ask city staff to draft a one-year moratorium on new data centers for consideration at an upcoming meeting.

More about similar projects…

Elsewhere in Minnesota, Swervo has partnered with Eagan Capital to convert a former Unisys data center in Eagan into a colocation facility. A local moratorium in the Dakota County city, however, is blocking expansion plans. Swervo affiliate Eagan Capital is filing a lawsuit to lift the moratorium.

Here are some earlier stories on the project:

Folks in education are concerned about losing E-Rate funding for broadband in schools

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Gov Tech reports…

A few weeks after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr called for a broad review of the 30-year-old federal E-rate program, the FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking June 26 that floated the idea of ending the program. Education leaders and experts on the digital divide have since weighed in, arguing that would be a grave mistake.
The E-rate program, which provides financial support to schools and libraries for broadband connectivity, was established in 1996 and funded starting in 1997. At that time, 65 percent of U.S. public schools had Internet access, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The FCC’s notice asked whether the program has fulfilled Congress’ original objective of bringing Internet access to schools and libraries, given that “virtually all schools report having broadband connectivity and Wi-Fi.” It also cited ill effects of screen time as a reason to rethink the program.
Indeed, rates of digital connectivity have grown since E-rate’s introduction. The FCC’s notice cited a 2019 State of the States report from the nonprofit EducationSuperHighway that found 99 percent of K-12 schools had high-speed Internet access. In 2023, researchers found that 96 percent of New York public schools were connected.

Some detail that might help the E-Rate…

The FCC’s notice acknowledges that the Congressional mandate that created the E-rate program does not empower the FCC to terminate the program, but advocates are still worried. Education and library organizations argue that the framing of the FCC’s notice misunderstands that digital connectivity requires ongoing maintenance, that the program’s success is evidence of its importance, and that cybersecurity threats and evolving technologies necessitate ongoing work.

EVENT July 8: AI and Workforce – Combatting Job Displacement

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Hosted by Broadband Breakfast…

Wednesday, Jul 8
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries from telecommunications to customer service, the question is no longer whether AI will transform the workforce, but how leaders, policymakers, and educators can ensure workers are not left behind. This panel brings together experts to examine the real-world impact of automation on jobs, the sectors most exposed to disruption, and the strategies that can turn displacement into opportunity. Panelists will explore reskilling and upskilling initiatives, the role of public-private partnerships, emerging policy frameworks, and what a resilient, AI-ready workforce looks like in the years ahead. Join us for a frank conversation about protecting workers while harnessing the productivity gains AI can deliver.

Panelists

  • Panelists have been invited
  • Melissa Newman (moderator), SVP, Government Relations, TIA

Telehealth helps with access to mental healthcare for rural Minnesota’s communities of color – when they have broadband

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A recent publication from the Center for Rural Policy reports…

Rural Minnesota is changing. Across its small towns and open landscapes, people of color are becoming a larger part of the community—some newly arrived from other countries, others whose families have called this region home for generations.

As our previous research has shown (here and here), finding help for mental health concerns can be a struggle for anyone living in rural areas, but it can be even harder for BIPOC residents (Black, Indigenous and People of Color). Whether they are recent immigrants trying to navigate an unfamiliar system or long-time Minnesotans seeking care that understands their experiences, the challenges of finding accessible mental health services that meet their needs remain significant.

This makes access difficult…

While statewide outpatient statistics are not readily available, national evidence shows that rural residents face longer drives to outpatient clinics. The greater distance between communities and the sparse population of smaller towns create adverse economies of scale that increase the cost of providing services. This in turn has led to clinic closures and healthcare consolidation, further squeezing the supply of services over the years as healthcare companies try to keep revenue ahead of expenses. The closures also result in even longer drives to receive services. …

A lack of transportation or public transportation also limits people in rural areas,[3] who are more likely to not have their own vehicles or are unable to drive due to age, income, or disability even as the distances patients need to travel to get services continue to increase. According to a 2024 Minnesota Department of Health report on the state of rural healthcare, rural patients seeking inpatient mental health and chemical dependency treatment must travel three times farther than their urban counterparts.[4]

But while these challenges are tough for all rural families looking for help, they are even greater for people of color.

The report offers several recommendations for improvement, including telehealth for those with adequate broadband…

Telehealth can especially help rural people of color access appropriate, effective mental healthcare, says Terica Toliver, Senior Director of Clinical Therapy at Louisiana-based Iris Telehealth, which provides therapy via telehealth through her contract with ElevaCare in Southwest Minnesota. Telehealth gives people of color a broader range of providers to choose from, including providers who share the same racial and cultural backgrounds.

It’s not a perfect solution, however. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans don’t have access to the broadband internet service required for telehealth to work reliably,[26] and telehealth isn’t for everyone. Some patients simply don’t feel comfortable talking to a stranger about their mental health on a digital screen.

In 2024 77 percent of E-Rate dollars went to the highest-need category

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Broadband Clusters reports on a powerful way that the federal government has had to help schools get broadband to those who are less likely to have access at home…

Every year, the federal government helps schools and libraries pay their internet bills through a program called E-Rate, part of the Universal Service Fund. In 2024, it approved $2.76 billion in discounts for 21,102 institutions across the country: 18,507 schools and school districts, and 2,595 libraries. This study matches every funded institution to Census data for the communities around it, to examine who the program serves and what those neighborhoods look like.

The discount each institution receives is set by the federal government based on how many students qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free or reduced-price meals, a standard federal measure of household income. Schools where 75 percent or more of students qualify receive the deepest discounts: 80 to 90 percent off their bill. Schools where fewer than 35 percent qualify receive 20 to 49 percent off.

In 2024, 77.0 percent of E-Rate dollars went to the highest-need category. In the ZIP codes where those institutions operate, Census data shows 14.2 million households have no home internet subscription and 9.0 million have no large-screen device such as a laptop, desktop, or tablet.

E-Rate Advocates Want FCC to Reconsider Bidding Portal

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Broadband Breakfast reports…

Groups representing participants in the E-Rate program are asking federal regulators to reconsider their decision to enforce a mandatory electronic bidding portal.

The Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband Coalition and CW Consulting, which represent and work with schools and libraries that participate in the program, said they and others weren’t given enough time to comment on the new rule before it was adopted.