The Blandin Foundation led a contingency of broadband community people to the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) Summit in New York. ICF is a strategy that creates and recognizes communities that do well with the framework. In Minnesota, the Blandin Foundation has adopted (and adapted) the framework and employed it with dozens of rural communities. Each year, ICF names 21 Smart Communities, whittles that down to the Top 7 and then – we got to see the unveiling of the Most Intelligent Community. (Yay – Taoyuan, Taiwan!)

The conference highlights the Top 7 communities and the various aspect and outcomes of the ICF framework. Our contingency learned a lot and I think it was very inspiring. But we didn’t come empty-handed. We brought our own stories of success and we brought the rural perspective. It was fun to show off the hard work of so many Minnesota communities and we certainly raised the Minnesota Broadband Profile.

My aha moment came when we met with John Jung, co-founder of ICF and keynote speaker at the MN Fall Broadband Conference. He mirrored the focus on people that many presenters had also mentioned. It’s about how people can use technology but also about making sure they are resilient and flexible. He talked about how the goal of ICF is prosperity. So where ICF succeeds it can change policy. It allows a community to make decisions based on abundance, not scarcity.

Bernadine Joselyn and Bill Coleman each participated in a session:

You can read more complete notes… Continue reading →

Last week I wrote about the Small Business and Broadband Congressional Field Hearing in Scandia. MinnPost also wrote about it too. Stauber, Rep. Jim Hagedorn, a 1st District Republican, and Rep. Angie Craig, a 2nd District Democrat, are on the House’s Small Business Committee and showed up to the subcommittee hearing on Thursday. MinnPost covered the meeting…

In the U.S. Capitol, there’s been a mixed bag of proposed legislative fixes and changes related to rural broadband, most of them bipartisan. And while Democrats and Republicans have not yet coalesced around a package of bills, there seems to be consensus among members of congress: reliable access to broadband is necessary. And lacking. …

“The deployment of broadband is a non-partisan issue. It’s not a luxury anymore to have high-speed internet. It’s a necessity,” Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican from Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, said. “And people understand that. Including my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.”

They talked about federal support…

Hagedorn said he was in favor of most broadband solutions, but had his eye on using two existing sources of money to help fill in service gaps in the meantime: The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC’s Connect America Fund has been the agency’s primary vehicle for expanding access to broadband in high cost areas nationwide and the USDA provides grants and loans to rural America through the Farm Bill. In 2018, the USDA announced it was offering up to $600 million to internet providers looking to expand broadband.

Hagedorn said he would like to see changes to USDA rules that may limit speeds in some parts of the country. “Probably what we’ll be able to do is something administratively, as opposed to legislation,” he said.

Craig was a co-sponsor of the Access Broadband Act and is also a co-sponsor on the Accelerating Broadband Development by Empowering Local Communities Act of 2019. Her office said the House is currently working on a package of broadband bills.

And mentioned state funding…

Rural broadband has drawn wide support at Minnesota’s Capitol, too, and they appear to have taken more concrete action than Congress. During this year’s legislative session, which adjourned last week, lawmakers mostly debated how much they could afford to spend on the issue.

In the end, they approved $40 million in the two-year budget for a grant program that helps build high-speed internet systems. The achievement was celebrated by lawmakers in the Republican-led Senate and majority-DFL House.

And detractors to funding…

There has been some opposition in St. Paul to government intervention in rural broadband policy. A few lawmakers have argued there are cheaper options than fiber-optic cable, the state’s preference. The approach is costly, yet reliable.

The telecom industry has sometimes fought to stop government broadband projects where private companies already offer some form of internet. And free-market conservative groups also say that government-owned broadband reduces innovation and competition. The Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, a conservative think tank, has argued it’s also risky since they may not have the expertise of telecom companies. They have pointed to the crumbling of Lake County’s broadband service as a cautionary tale.

Still, Danna MacKenzie, the executive director of DEED’s Office of Broadband Development, said Minnesota has better broadband access than most states thanks to efforts from Republicans and Democrats.

“To be so strongly supported by all parties really says a lot about their understanding of the importance of this as kind of an underlying issue that touches all the other things they care about — whether it’s K-12, health care, public safety, rural economic development,” she said.

I am planning to attend and will livestream unless there are any issues with me doing so…

Small Businesses and Their Limitations without
Reliable Access to Rural Broadband
With Congressman Pete Stauber And Special Guest
Congressman Jared Golden
ME-2 Chair, Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure Connecting Families. Connecting Businesses. Connecting America.
Thursday, May 30, 2019
9:30 A.M. Registration Opens
10:00 A.M. Field Hearing
Bulltear Industries
24543 Olinda Trail
Scandia, MN 55073
Register Here
Questions? Call Congressman Stauber’s Office: 763-310-6208

Earlier this year, the Office of Broadband Development released data and maps on broadband coverage of tribal areas. The numbers are high level or maybe more reflective than exact but it’s a great start on getting a handle on what’s happening in tribal areas. I thought I’d do a profile of each area, much like I have done for Minnesota Counties. Here is Mille Lacs Reservation

Info on Access/Households:

• Number of households (2010 estimate): 1835
• Percent Wireline Broadband 2022 speed goal (25/3): 61.12
• Percent Wireline Broadband 2026 speed goal (100/20): 61.07

Mille Lac was a Blandin Broadband Community (BBC) in 2012. Back then, there had been past attempts to boost broadband use – such as starting an online school but connectivity was an issue.

In 2015, Mille Lacs County developed a broadband feasibility study that included a brief statement on connectivity on the reservation…

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe have constructed fiber connecting their casino, their main headquarters, and some of their other businesses. They buy bandwidth from the local cable company and are satisfied with the bandwidth they can get. They operate businesses outside of that fiber network for which they cannot get good bandwidth.

And it included opportunities for broadband partnership between the Band and the County…

The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe could be a partner in several ways:

They have a desire to see all of their members get broadband, many of whom live in places without broadband. It’s possible that the Tribe might consider ideas like contributing equity or paying connection fees on behalf of their members.

The Tribe might even be a possible source of some of the upfront seed funding to get going. This project brings a lot of benefits to tribal members.  The Tribe has access to some types of financing that the cooperative could not get. It might be possible for the Tribe to help get a loan for the cooperative that otherwise you might not qualify for. For example, some of the loan guarantees discussed in this paper would be easier to do with help from the Tribe rather than directly as a cooperative.

They own some fiber today and it might be possible to use some of that fiber for part of the needed fiber route. There are many ways to structure this sort of sharing that would be in the benefit of both parties.

Mille Lacs applied unsuccessfully for the last available broadband grants; it seems likely that they would try again now that funding is secured again. That will help Mille Lacs Reservation get closer to ubiquitous coverage.

Learn more about Mille Lacs reservation demographics from Center for Indian Country Development.

Obviously this story isn’t new – but I ran across it and thought it was interesting to see how the doctors interact with patients online …

The gpTRAC is one of eleven federally designated telehealth resource centers in the nation supported by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Serving Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, the gpTRAC strives to promote health care services that take advantage of modern telecommunications technologies.

The Hill reports…

Democratic congressional leaders said they held a constructive meeting with President Trump on Monday at which they agreed to seek a deal on a $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) left the meeting at noon sounding a decidedly positive note, calling the meeting with Trump at the White House constructive and good.

They said they had not agreed on how to pay for a $2 trillion bill to improve the nation’s roads, bridges, waterways and broadband, but that they had agreed to meet in another three weeks.

Last Friday I joined Growth & Justice for the release of the Human Capital section of the Minnesota Equity Blueprint. The first report reveals challenges and opportunities, along with dozens of practical solutions that will help realize our state’s full human potential.   Solutions are organized by topic headings:  Economic Security, Peaceful Communities, Educational Attainment, and Healthy People and Communities.

The Blueprint includes many recommendations. I have pulled out some that seem to relate to broadband – or are solutions that are deployed more easily with broadband.

• Ensure that work provides a route out of poverty
  High tech jobs, knowledge worker jobs generally pay well.
• Increased opportunity for Minnesotans with Disabilities.
  Telework opportunities can help Minnesotans with various disabilities and/or mobility issues
• Career Pathways: Promote and increase investment in the most effective programs that equip young people for living wage careers in technology, trades and entrepreneurship
• Expand affordable access to health care
  It can be cheaper to provide access to remote care.
• Expand telehealth.
• Improve access to care for vulnerable populations such as elders and people with disabilities.
  Remote monitoring keeps people in their homes longer.
• Expand access to mental health services.
  Shortages of mental health services in rural areas can be improved with remote access to mental health.
• Prevent and treat opioid addiction.
  Minnesota has piloted some remote opioid addiction support.

If you’re interested in technology and innovation or economic development – this will be a great conference…

MHTA Annual Spring Conference

This annual one-day tech conference in Brooklyn Park is attended by business, technology and industry leaders as well as technology influencers and technology strategists.

Thursday, May 9, 2019

Minneapolis Marriott Northwest
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Here is what you’ll gain by attending:

• New insights on big disruptive trends. Keynote speaker Michael Ljung will expose trends affecting our industries as discussed in Accenture’s Tech Vision 2019 report .
• Breakout sessions that dive into the keynote themes. Each breakout period includes workshops for business leaders and for technologists, allowing you to easily find topics that help you grow in your role.
• Cool tech you might not see every day. Check out premium VR with REM5, test ride in VSI Labs’ autonomous research vehicle, drive robots created by the Edina Green Machine and more!
• A dynamic expo. Exhibitors are competing to wow you with their tech, demos and swag
• Networking with leaders at all levels in all business sizes
• A closing session that puts ideas into action. Executives from Seagate Technology, Target and Cargill share how they drive business outcomes using new technologies.

Registration Fees

Conference fee (thru May 8): $210/MHTA members, $275/non-members
Onsite registration (May 9): $285/MHTA members, $375/non-members

Here are notes and video on the MN Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance. Spoiler alert – they laid over broadband bills for possible inclusion in omnibus.

Everyone was positive about the bills (esp SF9 and SF1231). There were no speakers in opposition. Senators had good questions but nothing negative.

S.F. 9-Koran: Broadband grant program appropriation.

S.F. 1231-Draheim: Broadband grant program appropriation.

Intro from Steve Grove & Danna Mackenzie

Nancy Hoffman – Chisago County & MN Rural Broadband Coalition
Representing more than 80 organization
SF9 is the top goal of our Coalition
$70 million for grants is a top priority
We (communities and providers) need consistent and stable funding to make border to border broadband happen.

Daniel Lightfoot, LMC
Boradband means jobs, education, healthcare
120 MN cities lack wires broadband at speeds of 25/3
We need to plan for 2026 goals of 100/20

Ann Schwagerl, MN Famer Union in Big Stone County
We got a MN grant and now we have fiber. It helps me as a farmer and business owner. Broadband helps me maximize economic opportunity. I can buy and sell directly. I am a better farmer with better broadband.
Question – what happened in Big Stone?
FTTH to everyone. Half funded through the state, bonding through the county. Worked with Federated/Farmers Telephone and the County.

Brent Christensen, MTA
Support SF9
We have 4 years of data that proves that these grants work to build out broadband with public and private funding. If MN Grants were available this year, our members would have applied for $27.7 million in investment (state) leveraging $31 million grants to build better broadband.

John Dukich, MHTA
Support SF9 & SF 1231
We still have houses that need broadband. Funding will help us reach the 2022 goals.
$35 million each year for 3 years should help us get to the 2022 speed goals of 25/3.

Barbara Droher Kline, Le Sueur County Broadband Coalition
We had only Frontier dialup when we moved to the County. We first upgrades to fixed wireless, which was OK until bad weather and more people started using it. I can’t run my business. I’m ready to write a grant. We wouldn’t be here without Blandin.
Frontier accidentally cut off my neighbor’s phone and internet for days. Her friends, family and healthcare providers were worried.

S.F. 807-Ruud: Mountain Iron economic development authority fiber optic broadband network extension appropriation.

$3,200,000 in fiscal year 2020 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for a grant to the Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority to extend an existing fiber optic broadband network operated by the Northeast Service Cooperative from Willow River to Pine City and from Cromwell to
Aitkin.

John Loffler, NESC – our backhaul is at 4 Gig – with this we could upgrade to 200 Gig. Second goal would be to help broadband providers access our infrastructure.

Joe Buttweiler – CTC – we are a provider that would like to use NESC

What’s up with the grant challenges? We need to call people out when providers challenge potential grant applications and don’t follow through.
NESC applied, incumbents challenged, we stepped back, we don’t know if the challengers built up.

This is a project that is really needed.

All bills are laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill.

I’m on the road today so I wasn’t on site but I was able to listen to Rep Stephenson introduce HF 136. Here is the short description of the bill:

Internet service providers servicing Minnesota customers and those under contract to the state or political subdivisions certain activities prohibited.

The hope was to move the legislation to Government Operations. (And it is moved.)

Here is an overview from MN House Research…

This bill prohibits certain activities that were previously prohibited under the net neutrality rules adopted by the Federal Communications Commission, when those activities are done by Internet service providers who provide services to state agencies or political subdivisions. The bill also requires Internet service providers to provide content neutral services and prohibits paid prioritization of traffic when providing Internet service to people in Minnesota. The bill provides for enforcement mechanisms through investigation by the Department of Commerce, consumer protection remedies from the Attorney General, or criminal prosecution.

Testifiers:

Professor from U of M (Joseph Contane?): spoke about Net Neutrality in general and how it works. Mentions that while many businesses (Google, Facebook) are making money from greater traffic on the Internet, providers don’t. Because they are like a utility. He compares it to the roads not getting more money when traffic if high. Compares the end user’s story to the provider’s story. Ends up asking if we think the Free Market will solve some of these problems and has the internet already been buoyed by public funds.

John Gordon (ACLU): Supports HF 136 – 2 dozen other states are already working on Net Neutrality because free info is the lifeblood of democracy. Gave examples of providers blocking customers based on the content of messages that they tried to send. Reiterate stories providers have given in other states such as, net neutrality is unnecessary as providers plan to adhere to premise with or without regulation, impossible to adhere to law in different states, the FTC will look after consumers.

Tony Mendoza (MN Cable): Supports Net Neutrality at the federal level – not on a state by state basis. Gives a lot of explanation of terms in the bill, including definitions. The question is how to regulate the internet. MN Providers have invested $1 billion in broadband deployment. The MN Broadband Grants are a model of how to continue the investment but this regulation would impact the interest grants.

Anna Borroff (MN Cable): Cable companies adhere to Net Neutrality principles; but we think it’s a federal issue.

Jim Beatty (BEVcomm/MTA): MTA companies have invested $118M in 2018. Afraid that this bill might have a negative impact on the MN Broadband grants. We adhere to net neutrality principles but we have issues will drastic measures when we don’t always have ultimate control of access. (Think of escalated traffic on a snow day.) Tough to understand limits of reasonable network management.

Paul Wertz (ATT): Invests more than $100 million annual in MN. Net Neutrality is a federal issue. Net Neutrality has not come up with MN Broadband Task Force.

John Dukich (MHTA): Regulation should happen at federal level.

Here are the amendments that were discussed:

H0136A2.pdf (2/13/2019) – didn’t pass
H0136A3.pdf (2/13/2019) – didn’t pass
H0136A4.pdf (2/13/2019) – didn’t pass
H0136A5.pdf (2/13/2019) – adopted
H0136A1.pdf (2/12/2019)

Discussion

We hear from industry that this should be a federal level. BUT MCCA needs to talk to their members about a unified message on Net Neutrality. And they speakers seem to have more confidence in the federals policymakers than we do.

What is the issue with the edge provider (like ESPN 360)? They seem to charge access fees to providers. What will happen with that? It could put small providers in a bad position.
It seems like providers are covered. It has more to do with charges than network management, but it seems worth deeper inspection.

How will this impact school/business (edge) providers?

It is not with edge providers.
BUT now we have providers without legal people who will not know the answers and may influence their broadband grant eligibility. It make decrease interest in the grants.

It seems like there isn’t enough money for grants anyways – so why are we worried about people not taking advantage of it.

This bill only applies to providers not edge providers. We can have that discussion in the next Committee Stop.

We have a $100 million broadband bill coming up later this week.

Why are we questioning intent? I don’t want to hear about lobbying contracts – because it’s not gentlemanly.

Net Neutrality is a rural issue. In many areas the market will take care of some issues. This will not happen in most rural areas.

Suburban legislators should not support this. CAF money is good enough for Minnesota. There are no unserved areas in MN because satellite serves everyone. This bill doesn’t impact satellite. Why not?
We can think about that.
It’s not worth talking about this – it will never pass.

Many people say they don’t have access, we need to respect that.
Some people don’t believe in the moon landing.

Here is a reaction/press release from Industry folks:

Minnesota High Tech Association
Minnesota Telecom Alliance
Minnesota Cable Communication Association
CTIA – National Wireless Trade Association

Joint Statement on Proposed Net Neutrality Legislation

“We are committed to the open internet and to protecting consumers online.  That’s why we support permanent, federal bipartisan legislation that would protect internet openness and freedom and ensure consistent rules for all companies and across all websites.

Any state attempts to regulate the internet will not only result in a patchwork of inconsistent laws impossible to implement, but will also be preempted by federal law.  In addition, it makes no sense for Minnesota to consider its own net neutrality legislation when litigation is currently pending on the issue at the federal level.

The bottom line: Congress must pass a national policy to preserve the open internet and protect consumers.”

###

Minnesota Cable Communications Association (MCCA) statement on Rep. Zach Stephenson and Senator Ron Latz legislative proposal (HF136) on net neutrality in Minnesota.

St. Paul, February 13, 2019 – The Internet is a staple of almost every American’s life. It links us together in the digital world and drives innovation and technological expansion. It is a valuable tool responsible for nearly 10% of the U.S. GDP. It should not be subject to politics.

“Today’s proposal by Senator Latz and Rep. Stephenson would create a Minnesota Internet island and disadvantage Minnesotans,” said Anna Boroff, Executive Director, Minnesota Cable Communications Association. “If further regulations are deemed necessary, the proper place for legislative action is the United States Congress, not Minnesota.”

HF136 would have negative consequences for broadband investment, competition and innovation in Minnesota. Data travels without regard for state lines. For a consumer, opening a website or streaming a TV show is a simple action. For operators, it is a complex chain of events involving servers, backbones, content delivery networks, and exchange points. Many of these steps cross multiple state boundaries, making broadband a prime example of an interstate service. Congress and the courts have also consistently held that the federal government has primacy on Internet and data network regulations.

Importantly, Minnesota’s cable companies adhere to the principles of net neutrality. They do not block, throttle, or discriminate against lawful content and are transparent with their consumer practices. Additionally, these principles are in their binding commitments to customers, and are enforceable by the Federal Trade Commission.

“If Senator Latz and Rep. Stephenson believe they need to ensure net neutrality for Minnesotans, they should lobby their Member of Congress,” added Boroff.

Recode recently ran an article on the FCC and the info it collects to create the broadband maps (Form 477). If Form 477 is new to you, the article will be super helpful. If it isn’t the article is still interesting. It looks at the FCC maps and the recent Microsoft maps that measure usage. It outlines the reasons that Form 477 is not the best way to track the digital divide. Here’s a very abbreviated list of their reasons:

• The info gathered from the providers. The way the forms are set up (and read the article for greater detail), an area is considered served even if it is only partially served. The providers have said that the forms are very cumbersome to complete. So the providers aren’t happy with the process. The public isn’t happy with the results. There must be a better way.
• The info only gauges availability, not usage. It’s not enough to just have access. It needs to be affordable. People need to have a computer/device and the skills to use it. Only then do the people and the community reap the benefits.
• People need broadband. They list many reasons, again you can check the article.
• Financial investments are made based on the results of the FCC maps.

What I thought was most helpful – was the table comparing FCC’s measure of availability versus Microsoft’s measure of usage in each county of Minnesota. (Or download the chart in a Word Doc.)

The Minnesota State Republican Caucus reports…

Senator Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake) is co-authoring legislation to expand broadband access in Greater Minnesota. Senator Westrom, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Housing Finance, held a committee hearing on January 16 to discuss rural broadband expansion. Recently, his committee was given jurisdiction over the funding of rural broadband in Minnesota.

“Ranging from health care, education, to small businesses, broadband access is essential to our way of life in the twenty-first century,” said Senator Westrom. “I consistently hear from rural residents and small business owners that a lack of broadband limits their ability to flourish in Greater Minnesota, much like a lack of electricity did 75 years ago. We need to continue to address that problem and I look forward to spearheading that effort this upcoming session.”

Senator Westrom has long been a proponent of rural broadband expansion, authoring multiple bills that funded projects to expand broadband access in Greater Minnesota. This session, he joins a bipartisan group of senators authoring legislation to invest $70 million in broadband expansion over the next two years.

During the hearing Westrom’s committee held, experts from the broadband industry testified that the state program helps leverage private and federal broadband investments, multiplying their benefits many times over. Additionally, they stated the state program “works like a scalpel,” filling-in broadband coverage gaps where private or federal funds do not provide enough resources.

“Broadband expansion benefits everyone, from students doing homework to businesses in Greater Minnesota,” added Senator Westrom. “By working across the aisle, we can improve our state, economy, and way of life.”

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: