News from the Blandin on Broadband Blog
Broadband Disrupting Education
The Minnesota eLearning Summit showcased flipped classrooms, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) and locally created FlexBooks (online curriculum): disruptive technologies that change the classroom, prepare students for a future workplace and help keep the US in line with global leaders. http://wp.me/p3if7-2jk & http://wp.me/p3if7-2jo Each tool requires broadband in the school and at home. The LEAD (Leading Education by Advancing Digital) Commission reinforced the message in their recent report to the FCC, Paving a Path Forward: A Technology and Education Blueprint. http://wp.me/p3if7-2jG The FCC is currently soliciting comments on modifications to the E-Rate (federal funding for broadband in schools and libraries). http://wp.me/p3if7-2iE
Broadband and State Initiatives
The Minnesota Broadband Task Force monthly meeting featured broadband providers talking about their investments and business plans for broadband in their areas. ROI is a big deciding factor. http://wp.me/p3if7-2iX The Task Force also heard from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) about the recently announced position of director of the Office of Broadband Development. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ju Deadline to apply is August 12.
Broadband and Economic Impact
The OECD released an international report that documents a correlation between broadband and per capita GDP. The correlation between wireless and GDP was not nearly as strong as wired connectivity. http://wp.me/p3if7-2iT An interesting differentiation given that Verizon recently reported that they are moving away from wired connectivity in rural area and starting to shift to wireless services. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ik Closer to Minnesota, Bernadine Joselyn from the Blandin Foundation was featured on Gigabit Radio talking about Measuring Broadband’s impact on economic development with the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) program. http://wp.me/p3if7-2iO
Minnesota Digital Literacy Report
The 2012 Residential Technology Assessment from Connect Minnesota shows that approximately 22 percent of adult Minnesotans do not subscribe to home broadband service. More than one in ten non-adopters in Minnesota (13 percent) cite a lack of digital literacy skills as their main reason for not adopting. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ip The Blandin Foundation recently hosted a webinar citing some of the digital literacy efforts that seemed to be successful in MIRC communities; the webinar features the computer refurbishing and redistribution services of PCs for People. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ih
Funding Available
The USDA’s Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program has issued a Notice of Funding. Eligible applicants must operate a rural community facility or deliver telemedicine or distance learning services to an organization that operates such a facility. Applications are due August 12. http://wp.me/p3if7-2hW
Local Broadband News
Chaska
Chaska.net (a community run broadband service provider) is reconsidering its operations as upgrades are required to their infrastructure. http://wp.me/p3if7-2ia
Cook County
Arrowhead Electric Coop reports updates on fiber construction in the area. http://wp.me/p3if7-2hZ
Eagan
Just two months after signing their first provider, AccessEagan signs its third telecommunications carrier, opening up new broadband options for local businesses. http://wp.me/p3if7-2jL
Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac (a Blandin Broadband Community or BBC) plans to bring small businesses together to receive training and hands-on experience to show business owners how to research, purchase, market and sell online. http://wp.me/p3if7-2id
Grand Rapids
A teen tech whiz is taking over a local community exchange and shopping site. He will be integrating the site with social media channels. http://wp.me/p3if7-2jc
Hennepin County
Hennepin County is named second top digital county (for counties with population of more than 500,000) by the Center for Digital Government. http://wp.me/p3if7-2iB
Lac qui Parle Valley
The LqPV school district heads a BBC effort to expand broadband in the area. Increasing broadband hotspots and working with the school are two approaches they are taking. http://wp.me/p3if7-2j7
Lake County
Lake County and the Minnesota broadband community mourn the loss of local broadband advocate Paul Bergman. http://wp.me/p3if7-2j3
Twin Cities
Comcast plans to expand wireless access in the Twin Cities by modifying its home customers’ wireless routers so that they broadcast two Wi-Fi signals: the private Wi-Fi network accessed by the homeowners, and a separate, public Xfinity-branded Wi-Fi signal accessible to all — neighbors and passersby. http://wp.me/p3if7-2hT
Events
AUGUST 8 – Webinar: Engaging Youth in Community Technology Initiatives http://wp.me/p3if7-2jf
AUGUST 13 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Red Wing) http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp
AUGUST 13 – Webinar: Gigabit Communities Race to the Top Program http://wp.me/p3if7-2jA
SEPTEMBER 10 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Alexandria)
http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp
OCTOBER 1 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Windom)
http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp
OCTOBER 10 – MTA Fall Conference (Minneapolis) https://m360.mnta.org/event.aspx?eventID=81657&instance=0
OCTOBER 29 – MACTA Annual Conference (Bloomington) http://www.mactamn.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=7
NOVEMBER 12 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Twin Cities) http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp
DECEMBER 3 – Minnesota Broadband Task Force Monthly Meeting (Twin Cities)
http://mn.gov/commerce/topics/Broadband/Governors-Broadband-Task-Force.jsp
DECEMBER 10-12 – Minnesota Government IT Symposium http://mngts.org/itsym/
Looking for more events? Check out TechDotMN’s calendar http://tech.mn/events/. Many events are based in the Twin Cities but it is a comprehensive list. (If you have an upcoming event, consider submitting it.)
Stirring the Pot
In the last couple of weeks I have been working with the West Central Telephone Association (WCTA) in Sebeka to prepare an application to the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA) for a Smart Communities Award.
It has been fun to work with the WCTA co-op staff to learn more about WCTA’s work in their home community and region. WCTA is nearing completion of a 100% FTTH network throughout their service area, serving the communities and countryside of northern Wadena County. They offer up to 40 Mbps Internet service to homes and businesses and gigabit services to local schools and health care providers. WCTA staff is actively engaged as a community asset – with economic development, broadband adoption and general community support activities in a long-term, continuous commitment. WCTA is active in regional efforts to deploy and promote broadband-based community vitality. In fact, it was relatively easy to come up with 20 pages of “good stuff”, including customer and community leader testimonials, to write about WCTA in their application to the NTCA. If any provider is qualified for these awards, WCTA certainly is!
As I survey the Minnesota landscape and think about the work completed through the MIRC project and ongoing through Blandin Community Broadband Program, I see a good number of broadband providers of all types – for-profits, cooperatives and municipalities – that actively engage with their communities as partners.
When this happens, I see a positive, multiplier effect on technology-based economic development, broadband adoption and digital inclusion efforts. This type of partnering provides benefits for all concerned – the provider, the community as a whole, and the local residents. These providers do not receive enough positive recognition for what they are doing in their communities.
I encourage all communities and providers to explore ways to develop more effective partnerships. Even where a community may have significant dissatisfaction with their provider(s) due to available Internet speeds and/or coverage areas, there are ways to partner in identifying marketable network assets and well-served business development sites. These efforts might yield some targeted provider investment that could greatly improve a community’s economic development outlook. It should be an easy task to partner on adoption and digital inclusion strategies.
WCTA and these other providers set a high bar against which other providers can measure their own community partnership efforts! Every Minnesota provider should get out their measuring stick!
