Category Archives: Broadband Applications

EVENT Nov 13: Let’s Talk About Data Centers and Water Usage in Duluth

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This looks like an interesting meeting from Minnesota Women’s Press…

Thursday, November 13, 2025 6:30 PM –  8:30 PM CT

Zeitgeist Zinema 1, 222 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802

Join us for an in-person viewing of a powerful conversation featuring CURE’s Sarah Mooradian, who will speak on the growing water demands of data centers—why it matters, how it affects rural and urban communities, and what we can do to ensure a more equitable and sustainable future. Don’t miss this critical conversation on technology, water, and justice. Come learn, connect, and be part of the change. Free and open to the public.

 

Minnesota applies for $1 billion for health care support including telehealth

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The Minnesota Star Tribune reports…

A $1 billion grant to improve rural health care won’t offset the much bigger losses from looming cuts to the federal Medicaid health program, but Minnesota wasn’t going to miss out on its chance for the money.

The state completed its application on time last week for the rural health transformation funding, which President Donald Trump’s administration and congressional Republicans offered to soften the blow of Medicaid cuts. Wisconsin similarly announced its appeal for funding.

“This is a lot of money,” said Diane Rydrych, health policy director for the Minnesota Department of Health. “It’s really significant for Minnesota if we get this grant, but it’s also a really tough time. It’s not going to be sufficient funding to address all needs.”

Next up: an unsettling wait. Minnesota should find out in the next month if it will receive its share.

Each state applied for $200 million per year for five years, but the actual amount could vary. Some have worried Republican-led states could have an advantage, given Trump’s rhetoric against Democrats and actions in Democrat-led cities and states, such as military deployments and immigration crackdowns.

Sonds as if the funding could be used for telehealth…

Other goals in the next five years include an increase in telehealth medical appointments and a 10% reduction in rural Minnesotans who return to hospitals with avoidable problems. Essentia Health employs paramedics who visit with patients and help prevent their hospital readmissions, though it has made cuts to the program.

The federal government billed the funding as one-time support for five years, so Rydrych said the state focused its application on up-front investments that could pay off after the money runs dry. Technology upgrades to boost telemedicine visits were one example.

Broadband is only reason rural reporter can work for MN Star Tribune

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The Minnesota Star Tribune has posted a column from reporter, Karen Tolkkinen, out of Clitherall, Minnesota. She is writing about the experience of receiving government food assistance  in the past in reaction to upcoming federal cuts in food assistance. There’s a paragraph that paints a picture on the importance of broadband…

Trust me that it feels much, much better to give than to receive.
We needed food assistance twice for short periods, once before our son was born and once after. Then, when our son was 2, while my husband farmed and repaired tractors, I was able to land a part-time job in my field. When he was 4, I got full-time work. Health insurance ate up such a huge chunk of my paycheck that we went without for a couple of years, but at least my income paid for groceries.
If you live in the Twin Cities, you might not know that Minnesota has been spending tens of millions of dollars to bring broadband across greater Minnesota. That’s the only reason I’m able to write for the Minnesota Star Tribune, where pay and benefits are better than anything I’ve been able to find out here in the hinterlands.

Alternative education options are changing the MN learning landscape

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The Dassel Cokato Enterprise Dispatch write about alternative school options in Minnesota, including online learning…

Across Minnesota, a growing number of students are stepping away from traditional public schools and toward alternative education paths — homeschooling,
Post-Secondary Enrollment Options, and online learning. Their reasons range from safety concerns and academic customization to transportation barriers and future career planning. The result is a reshaping of the educational landscape, with public schools facing declining enrollment, funding challenges and a call to evolve.

…

Online learning is also expanding. The State of Education in Minnesota 2025 report by EdAllies notes that while virtual academies offer flexibility, students in rural or low-income households often lack reliable internet or devices, limiting their ability to participate fully.

They dive into the main alterative options…

Each alternative education model—homeschooling, PSEO, and online school—offers distinct advantages and challenges.

Including online learning…

Online schooling offers self-paced learning, access to niche subjects and the convenience of no daily commute. As ConsumerAffairs reports, many students appreciate the autonomy and breadth of course offerings. Still, online learners must contend with technology access issues, reduced rapport with instructors and a heightened risk of isolation or disengagement.

They recognize the requirements of online schooling..

Online learning demands stable internet and devices, which remain out of reach for some rural and urban households. …

Technology access also plays a role. While ISD 466 has invested in Chromebooks, and availability has increased in recent years, broadband access remains inconsistent in some outlying areas. This limits the viability of full-time online learning for students without stable internet at home.

Rep Ron Kresha speaks up in support of broadband especially for schools

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The Brainerd Dispatch ran an opinion piece from Representative Ron Kresha.

State policy must recognize that rural schools deserve the same opportunities as larger districts. That means supporting broadband access, promoting flexible learning options, and ensuring fair funding formulas that reflect the true cost of serving rural students. It also means connecting education directly to local career paths through partnerships with area businesses and technical colleges.

When students in rural Minnesota see a future for themselves close to home, communities thrive. Education is the bridge that keeps our small towns strong and our workforce growing. By continuing to invest in rural schools, we invest in the future of Minnesota itself.

Rep Kresha has been active in the world of broadband for many years. He introduced a bill in 2019 to invest $100 million in broadband. Last year, he introduced a bill (HF1971) that would remove barriers for telecom carriers interested in deploying broadband. He is chair of the MN House Education Finance Committee.

The end of paper checks creates urgency for Digital Inclusion

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Digital Lift reports...

The digital world just became less optional. As of September 30, 2025, the federal government has stopped issuing paper checks for benefits like Social Security. Payments are now deposited directly into bank accounts or onto prepaid debit cards – methods that require not only access to financial services but also the ability to navigate online systems.

This is just the latest in a series of policy changes that assume universal internet access. From healthcare enrollment to unemployment benefits, tax filing to student loan repayment, more essential services are now available only online. For many, this is a matter of convenience. For millions of others, it’s an added barrier that deepens existing inequities.

Minnesota State University, Mankato gets advanced wifi for student housing

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Broadband Communities reports on tech innovations at Minnesota State University, Mankato…

Terratron, developer of the new U-Square student housing community in Mankato, Minnesota, set a new benchmark for digital living with the installation of a future-ready managed Wi-Fi network, designed by Allbridge and powered by Nomadix.

Recognizing that reliable connectivity is the number one amenity students demand and a critical backbone for PropTech infrastructure, Terratron implemented a secure, property-wide Wi-Fi solution from the earliest stages of planning. The result: seamless digital experiences for all 215 residents who moved in this fall.

“Students expect their housing to deliver more than just a place to live — it must also deliver exceptional digital connectivity,” said Preston Lougheed, Vice President of Operations at Terratron. “By investing in the best possible service, we’re not only exceeding resident expectations but also building long-term reputational and operational value for our properties.”

How can you trust the news source you’re looking at online? Here’s a checklist.

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I have been a reference and research librarian. I’ve been a teacher. I was on the board of Twin Cities Daily Planet, an online citizen journalism newspaper, for many years. Information literacy is a top priority for me. When I read an article or report, I look at who wrote, who paid for and who published it. Lately when I’ve been seeing a new type of article – the sponsored article; and now I’m seeing the sponsored article morph into partner content, So. I thought it might be helpful to share a checklist of things I do when reading an article to assess the purpose.

It all starts at the beginning. Does the headline (or social media link) make sense? For example, you see a headline about the Vikings losing and you just watched them win. Seems fishy and might merit some investigation. Here are some things to consider:

  1. Check the date. I have seen old articles reemerge after an online news source upgrades their backend. The article can look new to a news aggregator, such as Google Alert. With timely events, check the time the update was published. Was the game actually over?
  2. Check the publisher. Are you looking at the MN Star Tribune, a Viking superfan blog or have you wandered into a Packer online forum? On a website look at the “about” section to see who they are and what their mission is. For a report or a book, you might look for the funder or sponsor of the work in the same way. Is the book about the Vikings written about a coach with a summer camp and is he (or she) mentioning that camp a lot? Consider their perspective and goal for the article.
  3. Check the type of article or resource you are reading. Not everything in the newspaper is “just the facts ma’am.”
    1. News article: reports on a news event in a timely fashion, generally sticking to the facts
    2. Feature article: a more in-depth article that often includes quotes, context and/or a narrative. They aren’t just sticking to the facts, they use quotes, they use narrative to frame the story
    3. Editorial: is written by the editors of the publication
    4. Letter to the Editor: is a letter written by a reader to the editor often sharing their thoughts, opinions or stories in response to a recently published article.
    5. Op-Ed (Opposite the Editorial page): similar to a letter to the editor but often longer and addresses a topic or issue more broadly. Often submitted by authors who consider themselves experts on that topic; they share their thoughts, opinions or stories.
    6. Sponsored content: paid, promotional content designed to look like part of a publication. I have seen this also labeled as partner content. The “sponsored” or “partner” label is not always prominent. A loose relative to paid content is paid search results. Do a search on Google, especially for something like [Duluth hotel] and you will see the top results are labeled as sponsored.
  4. Check the author. Similar to checking the publisher, you can usually click on their name for the publication bio. If it’s a letter to the editor or sponsored content, there will likely be a link to more information on them or their affiliation. Or look them up on Google. Most reporters will have a history or past article and/or affiliations. Recently, I tried to check out a reporter on a new publication (ironically focused on AI) and I could not find them on Google, which was highly unusual.
  5. Check the cited resources. This is going an extra step but depending on the situation, it’s helpful. Check out the sources (reports or other articles) that the author has cited and put them through the same checklist.
  6. Make sure you are looking at the right source. Some folks will go so far as to spoof a legitimate publisher to post their information. (Or even more likely to try to get your credit card information.) So if something still doesn’t look right – check the domain name. If you are looking for the Vikings make sure you are looking at [https://www.vikings.com/] NOT [https://www.vickings.com/ or https://www.vikings.us or https://www.mnvikings.com/%5D. Also please don’t try those last three addresses – I made them up, but they might go to sources that are trying to spoof the site.

I hope that’s helpful. Always in the back of my mind I ask myself why this person is sharing this information. Is it a journalist, a scientist, a lobbyist, a sales person or a community member? And what is their agenda?

I don’t go through the checklist every time. I have my trusted resources and that’s a manageable way for me to feel confident with information. But I do use this checklist a couple of times a week with new publications. A year ago, I used it less often.

To learn more about information literacy, especially if you are in a position to teach or influence others, check out the American Library Association (ALA) resources on the topic.

Research shows rural broadband deployment positively affected employment

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A new report (Wired and working? An evaluation of broadband expansion in Rural America) has come out on the impact of CAF on rural communities…

This paper addresses this [rural broadband] gap by evaluating the Connect America Fund (CAF), one of the largest federal broadband programs. CAF provided an unprecedented scale of financial incentives for broadband deployment to companies offering services in unserved or underserved rural areas across the United States. In theory, this support would allow eligible carriers to recover some of their costs and provide services that would otherwise remain unavailable. As a result of CAF, we expect both increased broadband access and expanded economic opportunities enabled by the expanded access. CAF operated until 2020, after which it was replaced by an even larger program: the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund. …

Our results suggest that broadband deployment positively affected employment, both in total levels and as a share of the labor force, and increased median household income in the benefited areas. These effects generally strengthened over time, particularly during the pandemic, with earlier-treated areas experiencing the largest gains. Distinctly, we do not find consistent evidence of impacts on self-employment. Our findings offer new insights into how large-scale infrastructure investments can shape local labor markets.

Government shutdown disrupts telehealth at Winona Health

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WXOW reports…

The federal government shutdown is creating new challenges for Winona Health patients who rely on telehealth.

Winona Health officials say the number of people affected is small, but Medicare patients are feeling the change. Some visits that had been conducted virtually must now happen in person.

Hospice care is also impacted. Certain recertification visits that were allowed over telehealth will now require face-to-face appointments.

Administrators say they expect telehealth options to return once Congress resolves the budget impasse.

FCC votes to end discounts for library Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity

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KSTP Channel 5 reports…

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end discounts for library Wi-Fi hotspot lending and school bus connectivity programs on Tuesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers and librarians who say the moves will make it more difficult for people who are low-income or live in rural areas to access the internet.

The 2-1 vote on hotspot lending reverses a Biden-era expansion of the discounts that allowed schools and libraries to use E-Rate funds for school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots so people could go online outside of schools and libraries.

The FCC said the agency “lacked legal authority for this expansion and that the agency failed to properly justify its decision” and said the program represented “unreasonable policy choices” and “invited waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Mayo Clinic is closing six locations, locals worry about lack of broadband impeding telehealth alternatives

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Explore Okoboji reports…

Mayo Clinic is closing six locations in Southern Minnesota. Montgomery, Belle Plaine, Wells, Caledonia, North Mankato, and Saint Peter will all lose clinics. The Mayo Clinic Health System said in a statement it plans to consolidate clinic services, but locals worry about a lack of access. Montgomery City Administrator Brian Heck said rural Minnesota does not have robust broadband and not every patient is able to use virtual care. The six clinics will close on December 10th.

Can better broadband help girls in rural MN become better math students?

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MinnPost reports…

Minnesota girls’ math skills fell nearly half a grade level behind boys in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis of standardized test scores.

The Associated Press looked at average test scores for third through eighth graders across 15 years in over 5,000 school districts in 33 states, compiled by the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University.

Across the country, the analysis shows that schools have lost ground since the pandemic following a decade in which educators had nearly closed the gender gap between girls and boys on math scores. While boys’ scores also suffered during COVID, they have recovered faster than girls’ scores. The widening gender gap in Minnesota was among the largest nationwide, equivalent to 43% of a grade level.

It turns out the situation may be worse for girls in rural Minnesota. There is the issue of broadband access…

When schools closed for the pandemic, districts had to focus on making remote learning work.

“Schools were more concerned with the logistics of getting kids on the right application and in the right Zoom room,or getting them to stay at their computers for the whole day, or even helping students and teachers find stable internet, especially in rural areas,” said Kondo, the education professor at St. Catherine University.

Also, there is the issue of girls not seeing themselves in STEM jobs…

Osakis superintendent Dahlheimer also notes that there are cultural aspects of rural Minnesota that make it more difficult to achieve his goal of creating long-term partnerships with businesses that can offer female STEM workers as role models for his district’s students.

“There are less STEM jobs out here. That may change with remote working, but for now, most homes are single-earner homes, and the person working is the husband, the father,” leading to a dearth of women whom girls can see thriving in STEM fields.

The numbers support the lack of role models in the workforce…

In Minnesota, only 26% of STEM workers are female, and only 11% are people of color, Brown said.

Obviously, better broadband would help the access issue. But it also seems that better broadband would support remote work, which would support mothers working (even part time) remotely in all fields, including STEM. Also with better broadband, girls in rural areas can more easily be introduced or even develop mentorships with women working in STEM in rural, suburban and urban areas.

There are some exceptions and I want to give a nod to Iron Rang Engineering’s #Night Program, which turned 10 last February. Here’s more info from their website…

Engineering outreach is a large aspect of Iron Range Engineering because we believe in giving back to our community. #Night is all about empowering young women to know that they can choose a career in engineering if they want to. Having more women in engineering will lead to better and more innovative ideas for solving the world’s problems.

Help grow the Telehealth Access Point map

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Do you have public space where visitors can securely contact telehealth providers? The NRTRC ( National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers ) is trying to grow their publicly available map of places where folks can go to use Telehealth Access Points. The map could be valuable for folks who lack technology to do a telehealth call from home whether they are on vacation, experiencing homelessness or disaster or simply don’t have the technology or tech skills. Here’s more info from a recent post on the NDIA listserv…

In celebration of Telehealth Awareness Week and in anticipation of Digital Inclusion Week, the NRTRC needs your help reaching 250 Telehealth Access Points (TAPs) on the NRTRC Find Telehealth Map.

A TAP is a public-facing space that furnishes a device with working camera, speaker and microphone, an internet connection and privacy considerations in the form of a dedicated room or kiosk for the general public to access a telehealth appointment.  These have been found throughout the nation at community anchor institutions like libraries, social service agencies, community health centers and more.  The NRTRC began mapping public-facing TAPs in 2023 in hopes of creating awareness of the spaces that are available for telehealth appointments and also to help navigators, providers and telehealth participants to find the resources they are looking for to participate in access to telehealth services.

We are thrilled to announce that as of today, we have mapped over 200 TAPs in all around the country, from New York State, to the Marshall Islands!  But we know there are more out there!  We are striving to map 250 or more of these by the time Digital Inclusion Week rolls out on October 6th and we need your help to accomplish this.  If your organization or any organization you know of is providing a TAP in your community, please fill out this form to get it on the map.  TAPs continue to be self-enrolling so you can do this at any time.

We appreciate your participation in this journey and look forward to celebrating this milestone with you all in October. If you have questions about the NRTRC find telehealth map, feel free to reference this user guide, or reach out to us directly.

FCC introduces a ruling that would jeopardize funding for Wi-Fi on school buses

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Telecompetitor reports…

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr yesterday introduced a declarative ruling that would reverse the decisions that enabled use of E-Rate funding to provide Wi-Fi on school buses. He also circulated an order for FCC reconsideration, which would end funding for Wi-Fi hotspots for children or library patrons for use outside of schools and libraries.

The press release announcing the moves says that the extension of the COVID-19 era rules exceeded the FCC’s authority. Carr also claimed the programs had a record of “poor stewardship of scarce funds, and invited waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Expansion of the Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries program — also known as the E-Rate program — was approved by the FCC in July 2024.

Carr said expanding the E-Rate program after the pandemic was “in plain violation of the limits Congress imposed on the FCC’s authority. Indeed, the prior FCC eliminated many of the safeguards that Congress placed on those programs. The FCC also failed to demonstrate that these funding decisions would advance legitimate classroom or library purposes.”

Proponents of the added flexibility considered it part of the evolution of libraries. Larra Clark — the Deputy Director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Deputy Director of the Public Library Association — told Telecompetitor in August 2024 that libraries can be enablers that help bring the benefits of the internet to more people.

Testing of school bus Wi-Fi by Google in 2018 yielded positive results.

The news of the FCC ruling elicited immediate reaction.