Blandin on Broadband

News and information on broadband use, policy, and trends

Blandin on Broadband

Category Archives: Vendors

EVENT Oct 6: Northfield City Council to discuss data centers (Rice and Dakota Counties)

Posted on by
Reply

So many communities looking at data centers, I feel like I need a scorecard – but I also feel like every community can learn from their neighbors, even if assets and needs are different. I had to remind myself of the situation is Northfield.

In August, the Northfield Planning Commission held a public meeting and decided to recommend to City Council that the city list data-processing facilities as a prohibited use. They also discussed ““typo” or “error” in the Land Development Code surrounding data processing facilities, or data centers. Specifically, a setback of 3,950 feet from planned parks, trails or other recreational features was recommended to be changed to a 200-foot setback.”

That’s where this article from KYMN picks up…

Northfield’s proposed change to data center setback requirements would correct a conflict in existing zoning regulations, Community Development Director Scott Wopata said, rather than respond to a proposed development.

Wopata said the city has no data center application before it, and no developer has approached the city seeking to build one.

The proposal concerns the minimum distance between a data center and an existing or planned trail or greenway. Current regulations require a 3,950-foot separation, roughly three-quarters of a mile. Wopata said mapping that requirement revealed it effectively prevents construction anywhere in Northfield, contradicting the city’s decision to allow regulated data centers in industrial areas.

City staff recommend reducing that distance to 200 feet. The City Council could choose a different distance when it considers the proposal Oct. 6.

The change would leave other performance standards in place, including requirements addressing noise, water consumption, electricity sourcing, vibrations and electromagnetic frequency. A separate 200-foot setback from homes would also remain.

This information should prepare us for the upcoming meeting…

The Oct. 6 council meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will include public comment, with council action likely. Wopata encouraged residents to participate, saying the discussion offers an opportunity to consider broader questions about responsible industrial development while the city still has time to shape its rules before a project arrives.

Arvig Gives $130,000 to Local Schools

Posted on by
Reply

Arrvig announces...

Arvig announced today that it distributed more than $130,000 to local K-12 schools this past year through its long-standing Internet School Partnership Program. Building on a multi-year legacy of community support, Arvig is also expanding its school partnerships to include Let’s Talk Tech, part of its Digital Life Skills educational resources.

In the many years Arvig’s Internet School Partnership Program has been active, the company has given nearly $1.86 million directly to participating school districts across the region. The program gives local families a free and easy way to support their school district. As an Arvig internet customer, all they need to do is designate a school to support, and Arvig does the rest.

More info on the program…

The newly integrated Digital Life Skills platform provides schools with practical, turnkey modules covering online safety and how the internet works. Arvig volunteers are available to present the material to second- and third-grade classes (7- to 9-year-olds) at no cost to the school. Interested educators can request an event speaker at arvig.com/dls.

Local schools and community members interested in learning more about Arvig’s Internet School Partnership Program or enrolling their school for the upcoming year can visit arvig.com/supportyourschool.

A glimpse at the provider POV: 7 steps to get ready for the next BEAD challenge process

Posted on by
Reply

This may be applicable to some readers, but I thought it might be interesting for those of us who don’t work for a broadband provider. Ready has come up with seven steps to prepare for the next BEAD challenge process. BEAD being the big federal funding program that has shifted gears several times in the last two years.

There have been many articles about what those changes have made to the state offices of broadband development, and we’ve heard from Minnesota Office of Broadband Development about the process multiple times. Today, a glimpse at the provider point of view…

NTIA’s Supplemental Deployment Policy Notice requires every Eligible Entity to run an additional BEAD challenge and application round to reach remaining unserved locations. The remaining unserved locations resulted from defaults in federal or state broadband funding programs, such as RDOF, locations misreported as served in previous versions of the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program, unfulfilled planned service challenges, and locations new to the Fabric.

And the steps

1. Build your preliminary list now
2. Inventory your state and local enforceable commitments
3. Set your evidence standard before the challenge window opens
4. Set up your challenge and adjudication process now
5. Confirm your budget and procurement path early
6. Prepare for the second Benefit of the Bargain round now
7. Run BEAD 1.2 alongside your existing BEAD work

Get ready before the clock starts

Data centers come up in another debate (District 3) between Hauschild and Zupancich

Posted on by
Reply

Duluth News Tribune reports…

Candidates in a rematch of one of Minnesota’s most hotly contested State Senate races sparred over fraud, data centers and tariffs at a forum Monday night.

Incumbent District 3 Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, repeatedly described himself as an independent-minded legislator unafraid to buck his party. …

But his Republican challenger, Babbitt Mayor Andrea Zupancich, said Hauschild has voted with the DFL about 95% of the time. She contended the state needs a change in direction.

Here’s what was said about data centers…

Zupancich admitted she’s “still learning about data centers,” as that hasn’t been an issue to date in her rural area. But she stressed that it’s important that the community be “fully informed” and for “everyone to have a seat at the table.”

Hauschild, likewise, said it is important that “local communities have a say,” while noting Minnesota has already passed some of the strongest regulations in the country. That includes monitoring of water usage and ensuring the companies pay for their energy, he said.

But Zupancich criticized her opponent for co-authoring a bill to give data centers what she described as a “free-ride” tax break for 35 years.

Hauschild responded by saying that was an initial proposal, but the final legislation actually raised taxes for the companies “by tens of millions of dollars.” He also noted his efforts to ban elected officials from signing non-disclosure agreements.

Candidates running in District 8 debate, data center comes up

Posted on by
Reply

Duluth News Tribune reports…

In a forum hosted Monday night, incumbent Sen. Jen McEwen and Republican candidate Darrick Law answered some of the biggest questions facing constituents, from data centers and copper-nickel mining to protecting taxpayers from fraud.

Data centers were part of the discussion…

On data centers, Law agreed with McEwen on removing NDAs that bar communication between local government and the community.

“Data centers are a pretty functional part of our society right now,” Law said. “However, communities should have a voice on data centers being put in their neighborhoods.”

 

Inver Grove Heights approves data center site plan (Dakota County)

Posted on by
Reply

KARE11 reports…

The Inver Grove Heights City Council approved the major site plan Monday for a 55,000-square-foot data center.

The plan includes a framework for construction, including the architecture, landscaping, light output, and parking.

The vote comes two weeks after the council let the project continue, despite a moratorium on data centers in the city. The developer sued, saying they started the process well before the moratorium took effect. That one-year moratorium is in effect for any other data center projects there.

SpaceX suggests the FCC end rural subsidies

Posted on by
Reply

Doug Dawson from CCG Consulting reports…

SpaceX has now told the FCC multiple times that the agency should begin the process of phasing down and eliminating all rural high-cost subsidies from the Universal Service Fund. The company filed comments asking for the end of subsidies in FCC Docket 26-96, which is looking at reforming the High-cost fund for an all IP Future, and in Docket 10-90 that was looking at Universal Service Fund reform. In both filings, SpaceX says that its proliferation of low-orbit satellites means that rural subsidies are obsolete and are no longer needed. The company characterizes anybody who disagrees with it as a “subsidy-dependent incumbent”. SpaceX goes on to argue that the money currently spent on rural subsidies should be redirected to programs that lower the cost of broadband for low-income families.

Doug looks at many aspects of the issue, I’ll just add one…

I think the SpaceX request raises multiple policy questions. First, is satellite really providing broadband? Earlier this decade the FCC declared that Starlink was not providing broadband when the agency canceled the $885 million award Starlink had won in the RDOF reverse auction. At the beginning of this year, Ookla said that only 45% of Starlink customers were meeting the FCC’s definition of broadband at 100/20 Mbps. But Starlink’s speeds have been slowly improving, and will be boosted over the next five years as the company replaces the current V2 satellites with the new V3 satellites that provide 10 times more download capacity and 22 times more upload capacity.

EVENT Sep 29: The State of AI in Rural Broadband: Findings from 132 Providers

Posted on by
Reply

The Fiber Broadband Association shares…

AI is moving from a future consideration for rural broadband to a critical tool for operators in record time. This webinar unpacks the 2026 Rural Broadband State of AI study, a first-of-its-kind report drawn directly from 132 rural broadband providers on where they stand with AI adoption, what’s holding them back, and where they expect the most value. The findings paint a picture very different from the “move fast or fall behind” narrative dominating industry headlines: 91% of providers expect AI to have a significant impact on their business, yet 56% feel they’re behind — even though only 1% of the industry has actually integrated AI into core systems.

 

We’ll walk through the report’s maturity framework (Dabblers, Explorers, and AI Operators), the real barriers to progress, and the practical, peer-sourced recommendations for building momentum. Highlights include:

  • 82% of providers have no defined AI strategy, but the gap between “Dabblers” and “AI Operators” is structural, not just behavioral.
  • The top blocker to AI adoption is skills and confidence (68%) — not cost or data quality
  • 73% of providers expect vendors to play a meaningful role in their AI future
  • Four practical steps any provider can take to move from Dabbler toward Operator, plus seven key takeaways for the next 12 months

Attendees will leave with a realistic benchmark for where their organization stands against true industry peers, and a concrete starting point for their next AI initiative.

County Commission candidates in Fergus Falls talk about data centers (Otter Tail County)

Posted on by
Reply

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal reports…

County Commission District 2 incumbent Wayne Johnson and challenger Jeff Gontarek participated in a forum Saturday, Sept. 26, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of East Otter Tail County and the National Organization for Women Fergus Falls chapter at the Otter Room in Ottertail.

In the wide-ranging forum, Johnson and Gontarek addressed multiple topics including property taxes, emergency services, their top three priorities and their thoughts on data centers.

Here’s what they said about data centers…

Johnson said county-wide zoning faces resident push back over land rights and recommended that townships adopt their own zoning ordinances to prevent unregulated development outside city limits. He said data center construction would damage local roads through heavy truck traffic. He would require decommissioning plans and bonds for large developments, similar to proposals for solar and wind farms, so land can be restored and money is available if a company abandons a site. He said wind and solar farms are acceptable in the right locations, and that rural Minnesota may currently be less attractive to data center developers than North Dakota.

Gontarek said he opposes data centers in Otter Tail County at this time. He cited about 25 hours of research and said he found they do not create significant numbers of jobs. He also questioned the return on investment for the tax base and raised concerns about water use, noting that local river levels are low. He said existing problems such as roads and taxes should be addressed before new developments are considered.

Data center supporters in Pine Island ask MCEA to drop its lawsuit (Rice County)

Posted on by
Reply

Post Bulletin reports...

A letter to the environmental advocacy group states, “Your lawsuit is an unasked for disruption of our democratic process that threatens many amazing benefits for our city, school, county and state,”

A group of data center supporters is asking a Twin Cities environmental group to get out of Pine Island’s business.

A letter sent to the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy — the St. Paul-based group that is suing both the city of Pine Island and developer Ryan Companies, LLC, over the proposed data center in Pine Island — “respectfully request that you drop the lawsuit so that partnerships between Pine Island, Google and Ryan Companies can move forward.”
The letter, addressed to MCEA Executive Director Kathryn Hoffman, has been signed by 183 “residents, business leaders and educators” from Pine Island.

You can read more on the lawsuit in an earlier post.

EVENT Sep 30: Eagan community session and online survey on data centers (Dakota County)

Posted on by
Reply

St Paul Pioneer Press reports…

If you live or work in Eagan and you have thoughts on data centers, the city wants to hear from you.

The city of Eagan is hosting a community input session Wednesday where community members are invited to weigh in on data center development as the city considers future regulations.

The drop-in event, called the Data Center Ordinance Community Input Session, comes seven months into the city’s one-year moratorium on data center development.

The moratorium, enacted in February, halted development of any new data center that would use more than 20 megawatts of electricity, and upgrades to existing data centers above 9 megawatts, in addition to any proposed centers within 500 feet of residential homes.

More information…

Instead of a presentation, participants are invited on Wednesday to move through several stations and share their thoughts, questions and potential impacts that should be considered. City staff will be available to collect comments and capture questions and perspectives, according to the city.

For those unable to attend, or those who prefer to share their thoughts online, the city has launched a Data Center Community Survey.

The survey, which expires Nov. 1, asks a handful of questions including, “If the City adopts data center regulations, what do you think Eagan’s regulations should try to accomplish?” and “What questions do you think the City should answer before deciding what regulations are appropriate for data centers?”

The details:

Eagan Data Center Ordinance Community Input Session

When: 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30

Where: Eagan City Hall, 3830 Pilot Knob Road, Eagan

Survey: https://shorturl.at/30GF9

Pine Island anti-data center group hosts info session (Goodhue County)

Posted on by
Reply

KAAL TV reports…

Southern Minnesotans came together to learn more about health concerns and state law related to data centers in Goodhue this Saturday.

With a data center project in the works in Pine Island and other cities, attendees came with plenty of questions for the experts featured in this event.

There’s lots and lots of more information that the city council and the citizens need to be made aware of,” Randolph resident, Ann Bezdichak-Boselmeier said.

Ava Corey-Gruenes, an organizer and outreach coordinator with Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate, said that water pollution caused by data centers has been linked to cancer, miscarriages and kidney conditions.

She said the purpose of the event was to help the public make informed decisions about data centers.

The article proceeds to share various views from attendees and planners and give a quick update…

The data center in Pine Island is paused under a court order after the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy filed a legal challenge questioning the environmental impacts of the data center.

The next hearing is set for Nov. 16.

Follow up on Castle Rock data center lawsuit dismissal (Dakota County)

Posted on by
Reply

Hometown Source reports…

Castle Rock Township’s lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in Dakota County District Court, according to a stipulation order, on Sept. 15 against the city of Farmington, MNLCO Farmington LLC and Farmington School District 192.

The lawsuit filed in February 2025 claimed the city of Farmington violated the orderly annexation agreement when the Farmington City Council approved rezoning for a 2.5 million-square-foot data center concept.

The court said the township and the defendants each seek dismissal with prejudice, which means the case can’t be refiled in court.

The parties also agreed that the defendants will waive all costs, disbursements, and attorneys’ fees that the defendants would otherwise have sought to recover from the township.

It was reported last week that Castle Rock has been working on a settlement agreement with the defendants, but no further information has been released regarding terms from the township, the city or the Colorado-based data center concept developer Tract.

The article gives a nice history of activity related to the project.

Southeast Minnesota lawmakers listen as residents weigh regulations amid data center talk

Posted on by
Reply

KTTC reports…

As talks for data centers continue to expand across Minnesota, communities in the southeast corner of the state are grappling with how to balance technological growth with local oversight.

On Thursday, DFL state lawmakers Sen. Liz Boldon and Rep. Tina Liebling hosted a virtual town hall to hear directly from Rochester-area constituents regarding potential policies and regulations surrounding large-scale data center facilities.

During the forum, residents raised concerns over data privacy, long-term environmental impacts, and skepticism regarding promised local economic benefits. Similar pushback has already placed a planned data center development in Pine Island on hold amid an ongoing lawsuit.

Lawmakers noted that the public’s unease is part of a broader national trend. A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that more than half of Americans believe data centers are mostly bad for the environment, while 6 in 10 respondents said they would not feel comfortable having a data center built in their own community.

They spoke about data center in past legislative sessions…

Over the past few legislative sessions, Minnesota lawmakers have taken steps to rein in industry incentives and impose stricter environmental guardrails. Recent legislation eliminated a $140 million state sales tax exemption on electricity for data centers and instituted requirements that facilities using more than 100 million gallons of water coordinate directly with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

They spoke about sticky issues…

Another major policy point under discussion is the prohibition of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in municipal negotiations with developers. Local governments are already moving in that direction; the city of Harmony included an NDA ban in the latest draft of its data center ordinance, which is currently before its planning and zoning committee.

Paul Bunyan Communications announces expansion to Hibbing (St Louis County)

Posted on by
Reply

Paul Bunyan Communications announces...

Paul Bunyan Communications will be expanding its GigaZone® all-fiber optic network to the city of Hibbing and is asking residents and businesses complete a survey to help the cooperative determine the timeline and scope of the project.
The short online survey is available online at hibbingsurvey.com and will remain open through October 14.
“We serve portions of the rural areas around the city of Hibbing, and we’ve heard from several residents and businesses of the community who are interested in our service,” said Chad Bullock, CEO/General Manager of Paul Bunyan Communications. “This survey will give the entire Hibbing community an opportunity to let us know directly if they would like us to bring GigaZone all-fiber optic Internet & our full suite of technology services to their homes and businesses”.
The cooperative has already determined it will start expansion construction soon in two areas of the city of Hibbing that includes over 880 locations. To check to see if your location is in this fall’s expansion plans and to sign up visit https://paulbunyan.net/gigazone/availability-map/
For more than 70 years, Paul Bunyan Communications has brought the latest communications technology to communities across northern Minnesota. Today, the cooperative provides high-quality, reliable Internet & WiFi services across more than 6,000 square miles, including neighboring rural communities and cities such as Buhl, Cook, Britt, Marble, Nashwauk, and Keewatin.
As a member-owned cooperative, Paul Bunyan Communications carefully evaluates potential expansion opportunities. Community interest, available funding, construction logistics, and the need for services are among the factors considered when determining where to expand its all-fiber optic network.
“We want to hear from Hibbing,” Bullock added. “The more information we have about the level of interest throughout the city, the better we can establish the scope and timelines for the project”.
Hibbing residents and businesses interested in GigaZone® Internet & WiFi are encouraged to complete the short survey at hibbingsurvey.com. There is no obligation to sign up for service by completing the survey.
More information about Paul Bunyan Communications, including services and pricing is available at paulbunyan.net.