MN Broadband Coalition

Thanks for participating in the MN Broadband Coalition!  This is our first newsletter which we plan to issue on a monthly basis.  We look forward to including your news and views on broadband developments in Minnesota.  Your contributions are most welcome.  Email them to atreacy@treacyinfo.com

Where are we now?
The first question that the MN Ultra High Speed Internet Task Force is considering is a basic, but complicated question…Where are we now?  The answer to that question will dramatically impact the path of the task force and their policy recommendations.  The task force has heard testimony ranging from “all is well” to “the sky is falling”.

The Connected MN mapping will be one source of information about the speed and reach of broadband in Minnesota.  We encourage everyone to review the maps for their area and provide input to the Connected MN organization as they work to produce accurate maps.  In our opinion, in order for these maps to be valuable, citizens should be able access the map layers to see where the various types of broadband are available.  Mobile broadband should also be left off the primary maps as this service cannot be considered adequate for a home or business broadband due to cost and service limitations.

We have developed our set of scenarios that we believe more cogently describes the broadband situation in Minnesota.  While each community has unique characteristics, there are a limited set of geography, demographics and providers that make some categorization a relatively straight forward exercise.  You can view these scenarios (http://tinyurl.com/bv4wvl).  We welcome your input on these scenarios.  We also want to illustrate these scenarios graphically and are seeking assistance from someone with quality mapping skills, either GIS or Google maps.  Let us know if you are willing to help.

MN Ultra High Speed Task Force
Watch for formal announcements soon about the meetings that the task force will have in greater Minnesota this summer.  As of now, the dates are June 19 in Grand Rapids, July 17 in Fergus Falls and August 21 in Mankato.  Begin to think about the messengers and the message that you want to deliver to the task force when they visit your region.

City of North St. Paul Referendum
The City of North St. Paul had a recent referendum to determine if the City would sell general obligation bonds, build a fiber to the premise network and become a municipal telecommunications provider.  For the proponents, the results were a disappointment after their hard work.  What should be of interest to all communities was the organized opposition.  It appears that the incumbent providers, industry associations and politically conservative think tanks teamed up to promote negative news stories, do polling and opposition phone calls, provide transportation for identified “no” voters and create web sites.

While we heard some advocates lamenting this high priced anti-municipal fiber effort, this response is something that community leaders must expect and be prepared for.  A strong community education and mobilization effort must be a part of any municipal telecommunications initiative.  A coalition of business owners and residents must be created and maintained that can counter the expected efforts of the incumbent providers.  The benefits of the community-owned network should be documented and promoted so that an overwhelming majority of voters will choose to vote yes.  We hope that, one way or the other, North St. Paul gets the “More, Better Broadband” that the MN Broadband Coalition supports.

Member Stories

Below are broadband stories from MN Broadband Coalition Member. You can learn about other members on the MBC web site: http://mnbroadbandcoalition.com/stories.html

I have lived just north of Braham for eight years. We quickly realized we were not able to get local dial-up service, DSL, or cable internet at our home. We originally purchased Starband (a former satellite service) which worked fairly well for some members of my family. However, the high latency issues made the service nearly impossible for me to perform my employment duties. We were fortunate to learn about Genesis Wireless based out of Braham. Their high-speed wireless service is excellent and their service is second-to-none. The only issue is the cost. I would love to see a service like this made more affordable for other users in our area.

Chris McDonald in Braham

The eFolio Minnesota http://www.efoliominnesota.com/ project at Mesabi Range Community & Technical College is piloting a systematic way of collecting valuable work force data through the region-wide use of electronic portfolios. In order to be successful and included, people in all areas of the region need access to high-speed internet in order to build their personal eFolios efficiently and effectively. In our case, broadband access will lead to an increase in the number of well-developed individual eFolios created which impacts labor market data, better matching of job-seekers and employers, and ultimately work force and economic development in our region.

Lisa Kvas in Eveleth