The Center for Indian Country Development reports…

The lowest category, in light yellow, shows reservations where fewer than 55 percent of households have broadband access. This access rate is well below the national average of 78 percent as well as below the average rate in completely rural counties of 65 percent,⁵ and is evident in several geographically large reservations in the Southwest, Northern Plains, and Intermountain West. However, other large reservations in the same areas have rates closer to national and rural county norms. It is also evident from Figure 1 that a few reservations match or exceed the national average.

Broadband access levels for many geographically small reservations are hard to discern in Figure 1 but can be analyzed statistically. Across 262 federally recognized reservations, in the typical (median) reservation, 61 percent of households have broadband access. This percentage is significantly lower than the percentage of households with broadband access in the typical U.S county which is 69 percent. In the typical county that overlaps at least one reservation, 70 percent of households have broadband access.

The Census Bureau has shown that counties’ rates of broadband access are positively correlated with income.⁶  We have found the correlation between income and broadband access for reservations is very similar as to counties.

They recognize that not only is lack of broadband more prevalent in lower income households, it may be a contributing factor…

However, the relatively low rates of broadband access in reservation communities may also add to their economic development challenges. Enhanced Internet access may not boost all types of reservation economic activity. For example, if reservation residents increasingly purchase consumer goods online from remote suppliers, employment at local retail outlets may fall. However, the net effects of enhanced access are generally considered positive for economic vitality, including through channels such as increased productivity at local businesses, increased sales to consumers outside the reservation, improved life-style and government services that attract residents, improved medical and educational services, and more.⁷ For these types of reasons, tribes and tribal organizations are taking steps to enhance Indian Country’s broadband access

Earlier this month, I wrote about the USDA’s new ReConnect Program; $600 million for better broadband (loans and grants). CNS has created a mapping tool to help potential providers determine whether the ReConnect funds make sense in their area. Their video describes it all:

I am doing the annual look at broadband in each county – based on maps from the Office of Broadband Development and news gathered from the last year.

Brown County ranking has slipped from 24 to 27 but that is probably more reflective of accelerated growth in other counties than any problem in Brown County. While the growth has been modest, they have seen some increase in coverage of 100/20 access.

They sought state funding in 2017 but didn’t get it; so they are working on improvements.

Info on Access:

The speeds reflect the Minnesota speed goals:

• 25 Mbps down and 3 up by 2022
• 100 Mbps down and 20 up by 2026

Current ranking for 100/20 access: 27

• Find more articles on broadband in Brown County. (http://tinyurl.com/z2wwkye)
• Districts: CD 1
  Senate: 16
  House: 16B

The Task Force met today. There are some good notes – and discussion on the CAF II auction. Mostly they went over their final report. Here are the recommendations:

Policy Recommendations:

1. Fund the Office of Broadband Development through the base budget at levels sufficient for it to meet its statutory mandates and create an OBD operating fund to advance and promote programs and projects to promote broadband adoption and use.
2. Provide on-going biennial funding of the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grants Program at $69.7 million per biennia until the state achieve its broadband speeds goals
3. Continue to understand the advances in the technology that will drive both the demand for better broadband access and that will enable the delivery if the broadband access to its citizens
4. Provide direct funding to the DEED for broadband mapping.
5. Establish a legislative cybersecurity commission, whose scope of work includes: information -sharing between policy-makers, state agencies, and private industry related to Minnesota’s cybersecurity infrastructure, cybersecurity workforce issues and emerging technology to: (a) develop legislative to support and strengthen Minnesota’s cybersecurity infrastructure, and (b) provide input or recommendations related to developing a multi-year strategic plan to secure Minnesota’s IT Environments.
6. Adequately fund the Telecommunications Access Equity Aid and Regional Library Telecommunications Aid.
7. Continue a MN Broadband Task Force as a resource to the Governor and the Legislature on the broadband policy with a broad representation of perspectives and experiences, including provider, community business and labor interests.

• Hand outs:
• Draft Report pt 1
• Draft report pt 2
• One-sheet report
• CAF II auction info

Continue reading →

Today we’re in Mountain Iron talking with people about their broadband projects.  They have been part of a project (IRBC) with the Blandin Foundation and IRRRB focused on increasing use of broadband in the area. It was especially fun to hear about a cool project in the school, They have a school forest. Through this program, high school students set up cameras and learned how to develop some programming for younger kids (5^th grade) to learn more about forestry. They had some other fun things too – you can read more and see the video below. Continue reading →

MinnPost reported on a recent debate in Mankato. They focused mostly rural-urban equity issues – and the difficulty in getting all of the major candidates to the rural forums. But tt seems like across  parties and at for those who showed up – broadband is an issue that all of willing to address…

Earlier that day, Walz had unveiled his “One Minnesota Community Prosperity Plan,” which includes a pledge to build out the broadband network with state grants. Murphy this week said she would dedicate any new revenue resulting from the state’s collecting sales tax on internet sales to broadband infrastructure. And Johnson said broadband build out would be one of the few areas where he might suspend his no-new-spending promises.

INFORUM covered the debate and mentioned broadband…

Hours before the forum, Walz announced that if elected, he would launch a One Minnesota Community Prosperity Plan, with city and tribal leaders involved. It would, he said, increase spending on Local Government Aid, infrastructure, broadband and workforce housing.

KSTP covered it too and broadband came up…

“We need to make sure people have access to affordable health care and we’ve got to rein in costs at the same time,” Murphy said. “We’ve got to invest in our schools across the state because we haven’t caught up with 2003 and inflation. We have to invest in roads and bridges and broadband.”

Twice…

The event also centered on other issues facing greater Minnesota including increased broadband, access to child care and protecting agriculture.

Story also ran in Minneapolis Star Tribune.