Category Archives: Broadband Applications

Minnesota awarded almost all of requested $200M federal grant to boost rural health care

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The Minnesota Star Tribune reports…

Fearing political reprisals from President Donald Trump’s administration, Minnesota leaders were relieved late last month when they received almost all of the $200 million in federal grants they requested to boost rural health care in the state in 2026.

Now they have precious few months to invest the $193 million in areas such as telehealth and rural training and show progress before the 2027 funding application deadline hits this summer. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is adjusting its health goals based on the actual award and soon will court hospitals, clinics, public health agencies and tribes to use the money and prove it makes a difference.

2025 Minnesota Rural Health Policy Summit Report: no mention of broadband

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The 2025 Minnesota Rural Health Policy Summit Report looks at five policy priority area definitions

  • Access: Ensuring all Minnesotans—regardless of geography—can obtain timely, affordable, and individually appropriate care.
  • Funding: Advocate for sustainable and equitable funding models that reflect the unique needs of rural providers and communities.
  • Innovation: Promoting rural-centered innovation in care delivery, technology, and community partnerships to ensure sustainability.
  • Regulation: Supporting regulatory frameworks that protect patient safety and reduce administrative burdens that build flexible rural health systems.
  • Workforce: Strengthening the rural health workforce by expanding education pathways, incentivizing rural practice, and embracing community-rooted solutions

I was expecting “access” to discussion access to broadband with an eye toward using telehealth. It didn’t. I don’t have a lot more to say about that, except that broadband – and telehealth – weren’t hot topics.

The exception was a mention of remote access under the umbrella of innovation…

Policy solutions focused on payment or incentive solutions that focus on prevention, address specific needs, or provide specific services, have controls for security, and means to monitor outcomes. The group emphasized that innovations should integrate environmental impacts. Policy suggestions include making the virtual visits telehealth extender permanent and aligning payments for virtual visit models with in-person visit models.

The extension of funding will help those who can access online visits but still leaves out those without adequate broadband.

EVENT Jan 7: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮: 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱

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From the Center on Rural Innovation…

Join CORI for a deep dive into the future of rural tech talent. This webinar will spotlight how six rural communities have strengthened their tech workforce pipelines through cross-sector collaboration, informed strategy, and learner-centered supports.

CORI staff will share key findings from our Advancing Digital Skilling in Rural America project—a three-year national initiative funded by Ascendium that aimed to expand equitable access to technology careers for rural learners, particularly women, people of color, and low-income individuals.

What You’ll Learn

Drawing from CORI’s work with communities in Ada, Oklahoma; Chambers County, Alabama; Cochise County, Arizona; Selma, Alabama; Taos, New Mexico; and Wilson, North Carolina; we’ll explore:

  • Trends in rural tech job demand and what employers say they need most
  • How rural partners engaged over 90 employers and educators to align training with real-world demand
  • What’s working, what’s challenging, and what’s next for sustainable tech talent ecosystems

Participants will also hear directly from local leaders in Wilson and Cochise County as they reflect on their on-the-ground experience building pathways that connect rural learners to economic opportunity.

EVENT April 7-9: Telehealth Everywhere 2026

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From the Midwest Telehealth Edition…

TELEHEALTH EVERYWHERE! is a regional telehealth conference for executives, providers, managers, staff engaged in the delivery of telehealth services.

April 7, – 9, 2026

Hyatt Regency at the Mall of America 3200 East 81st Street
Bloomington, MN 55425 United States

Hubbard County Veterans Service Officer telehealth program was nominated for two awards

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The Park Rapids Enterprise reports…

“Bjerke is the embodiment of ‘service over self’ and brings that level of commitment to his job every day, serving veterans,” wrote Hubbard County Administrator Jeff Cadwell.

The VSO’s Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations program was nominated for the AMC Outstanding County Achievement Award.

“The VSO jumped at the chance to create this unique service for area veterans. Assistant VSO Aaron Majors was instrumental in navigating the project’s requirements to get this service up and running,” Cadwell reported. “While not chosen for the awards for which they were nominated, we thank them, their entire department, and their dedicated volunteers, for their sacrifice and commitment to our country and to Hubbard County.”

Fewer headaches thanks to telehealth resources for Deer River students

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KAXE reports…

For some Deer River students, seeing the doctor means a full day out of school.

“Most of it is transportation and getting up to Cass Lake for an appointment, if they have one,” explained district employee Susan Nelson. “And that can be an all-day affair. You’re 60 miles up and 60 miles down.”

The Deer River Public Schools district overlaps with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation, including the communities of Ball Club and Inger, and Nelson said almost of half of Deer River students are Native American. Many are covered by the Indian Health Service, meaning getting care can present a significant travel burden.

There’s an Essentia Health clinic and hospital just a mile from Deer River High School, which can make appointments easy for some families. But even then, parents and guardians still have to take time away from work to get their kids to appointments — another barrier to health care.

A new program is trying to address those challenges with just an iPad and a quiet room.

Deer River launched its telehealth program with help from Essentia in October. Nelson is the project manager.

The process itself is pretty straightforward. On the iPad, Nelson has set up video conferencing apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom and health care programs like MyChart.

If a student has an appointment, they log in on the iPad, which they can connect to a TV if they’d like. Then Nelson steps out of the room — which is also her office — until they’re done.

AI Governance Checklist for Elected Officials from The Center for Democracy and Technology

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I love a good checklist. Even if you may never need the checklist, I think looking over it gives you a good idea of how something works and what’s involved. The Center for Democracy and Technology has created a check list for AI use in government…

This brief provides elected officials and senior leaders working in state and local government with a checklist of core recommendations specifically aimed at building government-wide structures, strategies, and processes to advance trustworthy and responsible use of AI in public benefits and services across five core areas:

  • Public Transparency and Stakeholder Engagement: Improve public awareness and understanding of AI by establishing public AI inventories, prioritizing public education about government use of AI, creating advisory councils with members of the public to inform agency AI decision-making, implementing mechanisms for meaningful feedback from the public, and instituting plain-language notices and explanations for affected individuals.
  • Accuracy and Reliability: Ensure that AI projects advance agency goals and combat AI-driven challenges by adopting acceptable AI use policies or guidelines, grounding the acquisition and use of AI tools in evidence-based decision-making, establishing minimum government-wide AI performance and testing standards and procurement criteria, implementing regular independent audits of AI tools (including post-deployment), building in requirements for human oversight and training, and prioritizing investment in AI talent.
  • Governance and Coordination: Promote cross-agency governance practices by adopting a government-wide AI plan and governance strategy, appointing a chief AI officer or equivalent senior leader, creating AI governance boards, establishing centralized emergency response protocols and AI incident reporting, engaging cross-functional staff in AI decision-making, establishing forums for government employees to provide input on AI projects, and incorporating responsible AI guidance into existing employee training and onboarding materials.
  • Privacy and Security: Identify and mitigate AI-related privacy and security harms by updating cybersecurity and data policies; establishing privacy and security protections in AI procurement; integrating chief privacy, information security, and data officers throughout AI decision-making; and prioritizing privacy and cybersecurity in employee AI training.
  • Safety, Rights, and Legal Compliance: Address the risks that AI systems may pose to the public’s safety and rights by integrating civil rights, risk, and legal officers throughout AI decision-making; establishing heightened risk management requirements for high-impact uses; and prioritizing legal compliance and identification and mitigation of AI harms in employee AI training.

NTIA plans to look into parental control of students technology and healthy tech use

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The National Telecommunications and Information Administration reports on a recent speech from Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information Arielle Roth…

That’s why today I am announcing an NTIA-led effort to put children first when it comes to screen time at school.  We want to empower NTI.

NTIA is uniquely situated to convene federal agencies, subject matter experts, and creative ideas at the intersection of tech policy and children’s wellbeing.  We are coordinating across the Administration and talking with leading experts.

We will also be looking closely at how federal subsidies and connectivity targets may be pushing schools toward more device use—often without asking whether it helps children learn.  We’ve all heard the shiny promises: that ed tech platforms will automatically capture and analyze student data to improve instruction, that gamified apps will transform engagement, that teachers can use tablets for classroom management and improving behavior, and that connected devices will enable ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning.  Tech companies—chasing taxpayer dollars—say all this and more to close a deal.  But our students are worth more than their sales pitch.

NTIA has no authority to set education policy.  But NTIA does have a role in reviewing whether federal spending on broadband and connected technology in the name of education has fulfilled its mission.

Federal dollars should be tied to outcomes that support children, guided by parents and teachers.  Technology should empower families, not undermine them.  It should enhance learning, not encourage addictive habits.

Mental health care is scarce for BIPOC residents in rural MN. Telehealth can help

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KAXE reports…

Finding a mental health provider in rural areas is hard but Minnesota researchers said it is much harder for communities of color in small towns and a new report laid out specific obstacles to care and solutions showing hope.

The Center for Rural Policy and Development said rural communities across the state are becoming more diverse but the center’s latest report showed there is still little awareness about the mental health needs of people of color in these areas. Lack of insurance, stigma, and trust issues are factors complicating the issue.

Marnie Werner, vice president of research and operations at the center, said refugee and immigrant populations also tend to be isolated from their small-town neighbors.

The article offers some solutions…

Recommendations in the report include identifying mentors who can work with students of color, in hopes they will eventually take on mental health care roles in their communities or become school social workers. The report also cited a move by the state Legislature last year to adopt licensure reforms. Backers said it could open more career pathways in the mental health field.

The report talks more about telehealth…

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.

Can affordable internet increase employment opportunities for low-income workers?

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I can only access the abstract for this report – but sometimes the abstract can get you the info you need. (Not that I wouldn’t like to read the full article.) The research article (Can affordable internet increase employment opportunities for low-income workers? Evidence from the Affordable Connectivity Program) looks at the impact of the ACP…

This study investigates the labor market impacts of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), the largest U.S. initiative to date aimed at reducing income-based disparities in Internet access. We assess ACP’s effects on labor force participation and employment and test the hypothesis that a key impact mechanism is the expansion of remote work opportunities for program recipients. Using large-scale national datasets, we also explore heterogeneity in program effects by gender, occupation, and connection type (fixed vs. mobile).

They found that…

The results provide robust evidence that ACP participation is associated with improved labor market outcomes, particularly among women and individuals with high-speed residential connections. These gains appear to be driven, in part, by increases in both the incidence and intensity of remote work. The findings suggest that a narrow focus on first-level adoption outcomes underestimates the broader socioeconomic benefits of affordable broadband initiatives. Theoretically, they indicate that the so-called Matthew effect – whereby digitization amplifies existing social inequalities – is not inevitable and can be partially offset by well-designed, targeted policy interventions.

Take time for an important story: When big cyberattacks hit small towns

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Big thanks to Ben Winchester for the heads up on this one. Click Here is a podcast that “tells stories about the people making and breaking our digital world.” Last week, they focused on When big cyberattacks hit small towns. It’s a quick 30-minute broadcast. It tells a sobering story of cyber security challenges in rural areas. I won’t retell the story, but I will share the messages that resonated with me:

  • While big cities often have cyber security teams or people or at least an IT department, smaller cities, towns and counties don’t. That means that cyber security in smaller governments is left to no one or everyone, the results can be the same.
  • Back in the day, everyone had a different security solution. It’s more homogenous now; even between small and large local governments. So, a cyber criminal can learn a lot about “how things are done” even in hacking a small town.
  • Unlike having your car or wallet stolen, a cyber crime is hard to recognize. You don’t always know what a thief got, how they got in or if they have been locked out. You don’t always know who did it or why.

OPPORTUNITY: 2026 Ignite Cup are officially open, now!

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Red Wing Ignite invites applications…

If you’re an entrepreneur within the 11-county E1 region with a big idea—or an existing business ready to grow—this is your opportunity to compete for cash prizes, mentorship, and a guaranteed semifinalist spot in the MN Cup.

 

The Ignite Cup runs December through March, with finalists pitching live on March 26, 2026. Don’t miss your chance to accelerate your business with regional support and expert guidance.

Here’s more on the opportunity…

The Ignite Cup is the top premier business ‘pitch’ competition in southeastern Minnesota.

It’s a chance for startup founders, entrepreneurs, and small business owners to present their business ideas to a panel of experts. Winning comes with a cash prize and valuable resources, but even participating in the competition helps emerging businesses attract investors and customers.

Started by IgniteMN, the Ignite Cup has experienced remarkable growth, largely attributed to the invaluable support of the Entrepreneur’s First (E1) Collaborative and a pivotal partnership with Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF).

What are the economic benefits of broadband to a household?

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I’m bringing back an old tradition – looking at how much money broadband can save a household right before the holidays set in. I’m bringing back the old tradition with a new spin, I’m using ChatGPT. Something old; something new.

I started with a search on [how much money does a household with broadband save or earn?].

It pulled up some good articles, but they were dated. I will let my age (or Master’s degree in Library and Information Science) show when I admit that I want links to article, not cite-less answers. But I moved forward asking for updated information. Below are the results:

Turns out that much of what I found interesting was from the same research: Economic Benefits of Fiber Deployment, a report prepared for Fiber Broadband Association and Frontier Communications from Nov 2024. The focus is on fiber over all other broadband modes – but was the best I could find in terms of specific saving and earning numbers.

Here’s the quick description of part of the research…

Our study is the first to show that fiber deployment has significant incremental economic benefits even in the presence of other high-speed broadband technologies.

The report looks at broadband savings/earning from the household and national perspective. I thought I’d pull out the details by household.

Related to real estate:

  • It could increase average household values between 14% – 17% depending on
    non-urban versus urban areas.
  • This translates to an average increase of $27,000 – $41,000 per house per year.
  • The effect on housing values in non-urban areas is fives times greater than in
    urban areas and is driven by the greater number of unserved households in non
    urban areas.

Earning:

  • The income effect comes from non-urban areas. U.S. households in non-urban
    areas with new access to fiber will likely experience an increase in their average
    income by $1,450 in one year.

Community Employment:

  • Access to fiber incrementally increases the employment rate by a small but measurable 0.74%. This is equivalent to a 0.5% increase in employment.
  • For a city such as Detroit, with a labor force of approximately 356,408 people,
    deploying fiber to all the unserved households would create 36 new jobs.
  • For a small rural town such as Iron Mountain, Michigan, with a labor force of approximately 4,363 people, deploying fiber to all the unserved households would
    create at least 14 new jobs.

Report indicates issues with rural healthcare in rural MN – telehealth his not bridging the gap

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The Timberjay reports…

Rural Minnesota is aging more rapidly than the rest of the state, and northern St. Louis County is part of that trend. Older adults already make up a growing share of the population, outnumbering children in many rural communities. The 2025 Minnesota Rural Health Care Chartbook, released Monday by the Minnesota Department of Health, outlines how that demographic shift is colliding with signs of strain across the rural health care system.

One of the clearest indicators is in emergency medical services. Minnesota saw a net loss of 542 EMS certifications last year, MDH reported, a decline that is being felt most sharply in rural areas. Small departments often have a limited number of responders, so even one or two departures can reduce coverage and extend response times. The trend arrives as the region’s population grows older, increasing the number of medical calls that depend on a prompt EMS response.
That context matters when looking at the report’s findings on stroke care. MDH notes that access to stroke-capable hospitals has improved substantially, with roughly 84 percent of rural residents now living within a 30-minute drive of a designated facility. The expanded hospital readiness is a clear gain, but its effectiveness hinges on the first link in the chain. Without adequate EMS staffing to reach patients quickly, the benefit of having more stroke-ready hospitals within driving distance becomes harder to realize.

Telehealth is mentioned as a possible solution that isn’t living up to potential…

Telehealth, which expanded rapidly during the early years of the pandemic, has not filled the gap as broadly in rural Minnesota as hoped. MDH notes that rural residents used telehealth at lower rates than urban residents over the past year. While the report estimates that around one in ten rural Minnesotans lacks adequate broadband for video visits, the experience within northern St. Louis County suggests the number may be higher in some areas. Broadband access remains inconsistent, and in locations where fiber has not reached, video-based care can be unreliable. The variation limits the effectiveness of telehealth as a substitute for in-person services.

Legislative Commission on Data Practices talk about data privacy, retention, health apps and automated license plate readers

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Today, I listened to the Legislative Commission on Data Practices meeting. It felt a little broadband-adjacent at first but the more I listened, the more interested I became. At the root of the discussions is the recognition that the laws are often not keeping up with the technology. Here’s the agenda for the meeting:

  1. Approval of October 15, 2025, Minutes
  2. Modern data privacy best practices around data minimization, retention, and maintenance
  3. Current challenges with data retention
  4. Treatment of geolocation data
  5. Intersection of HIPAA/HITEC, the MN Health Records Act, and the MN Consumer Data Privacy Act
  6. ALPR and Body Camera reporting requirements
  7. Data privacy as it relates to the interplay of state and federal government
  8. Adjourn

I was least focused on data retention portion, but my ears perked up when someone noted that many of the policies in place were written in the 1980s. That’s back when the retained “while you were out” messages left on your desk for a missed call. That helps ground the further conversation to realize that the government is trying to manage privacy and “customer” expectations using technology from 2025 and rules from 1985. And even the legislators talk about having one set of expectations for their personal privacy while wanting to use personal data to improve government processes. It’s a delicate balance.

The discussion included mention of a proposed law on health apps and easier access for parents to help manage kids’ health records, rethinking access to geolocation with an eye toward people using reverse warrants to overzealously observe residents and learning about unintended uses of automated license plate readers.