Category Archives: Client Updates

Stirring the Pot: Reductions in State Broadband Support

As originally posted in the Blandin on Broadband eNews…

Uncertainty seems to describe the current broadband environment in Minnesota and beyond.  This uncertainty makes it hard for local community broadband initiatives to plan a path forward causing delay and frustration.

Here in Minnesota, we are all awaiting the final passage of the Office of Broadband appropriations for the Border to Border Broadband Program.  When the legislative session started, I was among many who thought that upwards of $100 million would be appropriated for the grant fund to follow up on the original $20 million granted earlier this year.  The $10 million in the appropriation vetoed by the Governor is clearly inadequate to meet the demand of the projects in the pipeline.

At the federal level, we are all waiting for the pending announcements from Frontier, Centurylink and Windstream as to their intentions with CAF2 or Connect America Fund version two.  These larger companies need to declare whether they will take these incentives to improve their networks.  If they reject the subsidies, the FCC will conduct a reverse auction to determine how the subsidies will be allocated possibly opening the funds to a range of prospective competitors.

My advice for communities is to encourage them to keep moving forward with your planning and solutions development. Be prepared for emerging opportunities!

Stirring the Pot: Broadband is like owning a boat

bill fishAs originally posted in Blandin Foundation Broadband eNews

After a couple years without a fishing boat, I knew that I needed to get back out onto the water.  Like many broadband-deficient communities, I realized that life without a boat is a life incomplete.  I had tried fishing from a kayak and from shore, but it is just not the same experience.

Like broadband, there is virtually unlimited online information about boats.  Boat manufacturer, length, tiller or console, brand and size of motor, new or used, and even color – all critical choices.  Like broadband, sometimes the abundance of information only confuses.  You need to judge the expertise of vendors, sort through the criteria that you value and understand the impact of this value system on your choices.  And once you make your decision, you will need to defend it from critics, whom you may find are occasionally correct, thus requiring adjustments.

Finally, one decision only leads to more decisions.  With a boat, this includes trolling motors, electronics and fishing partners.   With broadband, technology, financing and business partners are critical choices.  In either case, selecting great partners makes future decisions easier.

Whether you are buying a boat or pursuing broadband network deployment, you will need convincing arguments to justify the investment.  For me, fishing has many benefits beyond the obvious tasty meal – beautiful scenery, bald eagles and daydreaming. Based on my usual fishing success, these joys might be the most important benefits that I receive.  As you personalize your broadband pitch, remember to include your own stories of broadband-created value remembering that not every thing that counts can be counted.

Finally, remember that implementation is critical and plans are only good until the action starts.   Without question, there will be problems.  With technology issues, I ask people if their device is plugged in.  With fishing boats, my similarly simple advice is to ask if their drain plug is in! You can see that I enjoyed my border waters opener on the St. Croix River with my “new” used boat and a nice 23-inch walleye.

Congrats to Chisago new Americas Best Community – now in line for chance at $3 million

Last fall, Frontier Communications and Dish Network developed a $10 million partnership set on driving growth and revitalization in rural towns and cities within the telco’s 27-state territory – including Minnesota. It’s called the Americas Best Communities.

It’s fun to see that Chisago Lake Area made the cut! Bill Coleman worked with Chisago. In fact we are pleased to send the announcement they recently sent to us about Bill and their progress toward the big win!

Thank you for the opportunity Blandin provided through Bill Coleman’s consulting time.  Today Frontier Communications announced the Chisago Lakes Area is 1 of 50 recipients of the America’s Best Community (ABC) award.  It is a $35,000 grant.  Through the process, we also have a Corporate sponsor now that will provide the $15,000 grant match as well as technical assistance and expertise.  It is a very exciting opportunity for the Chisago Lakes Area.  The funds are used to prepare extensive plans to go on to be 1 of 8 for the $100,000 grant. The winners then go on to take 1st , 2nd , or 3rd place for a $3, $2, or $1 million grant respectively.  We are so excited and see many opportunities to leverage between the BBC and the ABC.  We really appreciate Bill’s help and I am confident his work on leading us through the grant application is why we received the grant.  Thank you again for providing this opportunity.

Nancy Hoffman, Executive Director
Chisago County HRA-EDA
A Natural Resource for Business

Stirring the Pot: A little public funding sweetens the broadband deal

As originally posted in Blandin on Broadband

To quote Mary Poppins, “A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down!” That promise of that sugar, soon to be available from the Office of Broadband and from the FCC, is providing motivation for public and private sectors to talk about partnering. What is amazing to me is the relatively small amounts of sugar necessary to stir these discussions after a decade of talk of public private partnerships. Remember, Minnesota’s “share” of the $100 million FCC fund is $2 million dollars and even if we doubled our take, that will be less than $5 million. Our state broadband fund is $20 million, an impressive down payment on what many hope will become a long-term funding program, but is currently far short of what is required to meet the broadband goal statewide.

One consideration that must be driving city and county officials crazy is the lack of clarity around the public sector role in partnerships. There is little definition around what sources of public funds might be used to defray deployment costs – general revenue, excess TIF, tax abatements, revolving loan funds, CVB lodging taxes? Equity, loans or grants – what would be the impact of those choices? Public hearings or closed-door negotiations? Competitive bidding or reverse auctions, incumbents or competitive providers? Against the framework of short timelines, there is potential for public controversy and/or lawsuits (see Lake County, Monticello and the Vikings stadium!) For the public sector, even offering the incentives listed on Google Community Checklist brings policy considerations that could have far-reaching and long-term impacts regarding the use of public Rights of Way and waived permitting fees.

The Office of Broadband should work with the State Auditor, Attorney General, LMC and AMC and others to provide some guidance to local officials in advance of the Border to Border Broadband Fund application process. I fear that communities will feel a bit whipsawed by providers seeking the best community deal, similar to what happens when Walmart starts shopping a regional distribution center opportunity, all under the veil of non-disclosure agreements. At least in the bricks and mortar economic development world, the rules are pretty clear. Quite different than these new broadband attraction battles. To be fair, these prospective partnerships are new to the broadband providers! And to the Office of Broadband!!

Coming back to Mary Poppins…remember that the sugar available from the state and the FCC is like a tablespoon or two in a gallon of lemonade. Make sure that you measure your own sugar carefully to come up with a sweet project!

Stirring the Pot: Less beer, more fiber

As originally posted on Blandin on Broadband

By Bill Coleman, Community Technology Advisors

As my annual physical approaches, I can already hear my doctor proscribing “Less beer, more fiber.” I am already working on the second part of that advice, the first not so much. In turn, I will give the same advice to our Twin Cities leaders, again with the emphasis  on the second half.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are both experiencing significant redevelopment in their urban cores. In Minneapolis, it is widespread throughout the North Loop, Dinkytown, Vikingsville and Uptown. In St. Paul, the Central Corridor is undergoing rapid redevelopment. There is a continuous flow of press releases about new breweries in these neighborhoods attracting young newcomers and relocating baby boomers to enjoy the beer and bicycle urban lifestyle.

I wish I was hearing more about fiber connections in these new communities. With individual buildings containing hundreds of apartments and neighborhoods totaling thousands of new units; these developments are larger than many rural communities. With these demographics, providers have no need to educate hipster consumers on the benefits of broadband. With proximity to the downtowns and the U of M, I assume that dark fiber is readily available. With a billion dollars spent on the Central Corridor light rail, I hope that someone put some fiber and spare conduits in the ground along the route.

With a minimum of discussion and cost, city leaders could be ensuring that these new units are fiber-connected by either enacting ordinances like Loma Linda California or by simply strongly encouraging the developers, Comcast, CenturyLink or a competitive provider to install and market these fiber connected buildings. With a bit of planning, tenants in these buildings could have secure network connections to the U of M and any of the large and small companies in downtown and elsewhere.

It is possible that these buildings are appropriately fibered-up and these ultra-high speed connections are offered with as much notice as basic amenities like water and heat, but I do not think so. If fiber is being installed in these developments, then Twin Cities marketers like Mayor’s Offices and Greater MSP, are missing out on opportunities to build our brand as a place for competitive economic development and quality of life.

Back to my physical… I recognize that there is nothing that I can do today to change what my doctor will find later this week. Likewise if a business came to many towns today wanting fiber, there would be no simple and affordable solution. So, I want to recognize Eagan for its long term broadband lifestyle – convening their key technology stakeholders, installing conduit and fiber, working with broadband providers. They created and pursued strategies which emerged from a technology plan completed almost a decade ago. Congratulations to Mayor Mike Maguire and staff members Tom Garrison and Jon Hohenstein for their commitment and efforts. As a result, they have AccessEagan, a community-owned open-access fiber and conduit network that is used by multiple private carriers to provide highly competitive fiber connections to their primary business parks. Building on this infrastructure, they have just announced the imminent development of a telecom hotel/data center, also a long-term goal and a tremendous benefit to the entire metro region. And to show that Eagan is not only all about fiber, the city council has just revised ordinances to enable development of craft breweries, taprooms and distilleries!”

Stirring the Pot: Connecting the dots

As originally posted on Blandin on Broadband

Stirring the Pot

By Bill Coleman, Community Technology Advisors

“Connecting the dots” is a metaphor for people who can see the big picture in a complex world of technology, people and trends. In past weeks, I have seen the positive value of connecting people so that 1 + 1  > 2.  I saw references to the powerful impact of “connecting the people” in a Star Tribune article on Fargo Moorhead this weekend, at the Red Wing Ignite hack fest and at several community broadband meetings. With broadband, the universe of possibilities has expanded from local to global.

Last week, Bernadine Joselyn and I spent two days in Washington, DC trying to connect dots, first through a series of meetings with federal agency staff who either use broadband to achieve their mission or fund broadband as their mission, and second, at an excellent workshop of interactive learning and sharing. Both of these opportunities were well-hosted by NTIA, an agency that sees connecting people as a part of their post stimulus mission.

I did a bit of matchmaking myself over the past week. In one opportunity, I connected multiple telecom providers to each other and to regional community broadband advocates and our new Office of Broadband Development. These prospective partners have underutilized assets, that in combination, could improve broadband services in a number of counties at a minimum of capital expense. Combining assets could produce a great partnership, but I would not minimize the challenges of partnering across untraditional lines, especially private-public lines on new ventures. At least, the connection started a discussion.

Spurred by introductions at the state broadband conference, I met with state staff who work with the blind, deaf and hard of hearing community. Over the life of the Blandin broadband initiative, we have not paid very much attention to this community. People who rely on American Sign Language to communicate require a decent broadband connection to use video conferencing technology. For ASL users who want to communicate over distance with those who do not sign, three way connections to translators are required. While translators may be readily available in the metro area, they may not be close at hand in greater Minnesota, especially outside of regional center communities. Some rural residents with these skills may exist but they are not readily identifiable. I had a great conversation with the staff and we came up with several ideas for collaboration. Some of those opportunities might include you!

Sometimes these connections take root with immediate success or they might lay fallow until you provide some tilling and watering. With some, they might not produce at all. In any case, it is spring planting season here in Minnesota so make some connections!

Stirring the Pot: TIme to think about Gig for MN communities!

Stirring the Post – as originally posted on the Blandin on Broadband blog

It seems like a very exciting time for broadband advocates in Minnesota: a new Office of Broadband Development led by a capable, visionary and persistent community broadband advocate (the characteristics shared with all of our best community broadband champions); a prospective multi-million dollar state broadband fund (where do your legislators stand?); and an FCC examining new ways to spur rural broadband deployment (check out the recent Connect MN webinar!)

I continue to be a strong advocate of our state’s broadband goal of 10 – 20 Mbps ubiquitous broadband across Minnesota. That goal, while deceptively low, is fast enough to require significant network investments to reach border to border. And if a provider is going to invest in new network, I don’t think that they are going to settle for a solution that delivers only to the goal. All of the initiatives are aimed at moving un- and under-served areas into the 10 Mbps served category. If successful, it would be a nice simple Connect MN map to admire!

Then all of Minnesota can sit back and rest. Right?? Not!!

Not when a growing number of US communities are served by Gigabit networks. While Google is now famous for its generally prospective $70 Gb service, Chattanooga is delivering a Gb at that same price community-wide! Or you can get in their community’s slow lane with 100 Mbps service for a bit cheaper. Google also promises a free 5 Mbps digital inclusion service. At the recent Broadband Communities Summit, an International Economic Development Council leader noted that while a Gigabit network is now a competitive economic advantage, he expects that soon, the lack of a Gigabit network will be seen as a competitive disadvantage.

Even now, if your local school or hospital is served by anything less than 100 Mb, they are at a competitive disadvantage. Many Minnesota libraries are connecting at less than 10 Mbps, which is just not enough to reach its potential as a real community asset. All of our rural communities, but especially our smaller regional center communities with our courthouses, hospitals, community and technical college campuses, industrial parks and downtown districts, need first-class broadband services. The definition of first-class is now Gigabit. I have had regional center economic developers tell me that “our providers say that our community has everything it needs” and they accept that on face value; every economic developer better be asking about competitively priced Gigabit service, not a 10 or even 50 Mbps Internet service. Remember too that not all high speed connections go over the Internet – some customers need private networks connecting among health care providers, manufacturer supply chains or other associated organizations.

From Fort Snelling’s establishment as the last major army hub at the end of the northwest spoke of western expansion, Minnesota has faced network challenges. This challenge continues today. Minnesota is absent from the list of 36 Google communities. Why not the Greater MSP, Duluth and Rochester? Minnesota is absent from the list of 37 Gig.U communities. Why not our MNSCU campus communities, especially our main campuses in Mankato, Moorhead, Bemidji, Marshall, St. Cloud and Winona? Some of these communities have excellent networks already on which to build both strategy and marketing. Thank goodness for participation of the HBC-Red Wing partnership in the US Ignite program that gives Minnesota a dot on that map. Finally, I cannot see Comcast’s decision to spin the Twin Cities off along with Detroit as a positive sign for future investment. The Google, GIG.U and US Ignite list seems like more desirable than one with the Motor City. As my mom used to say to me, “pick your friends carefully!”

None of this rant even touches on the need to strategically and systematically stimulate the advanced use of technology by end-users on Main Street or in the exam room, school house, courthouse and/or our own house.

We better believe that Minnesota’s broadband deployment and technology adoption work is just getting started!

Stirring the Pot (March 2014)

As originally posted on Blandin Broadband eNews

The Minnesota broadband policy pot is beginning to simmer and will soon be at a boil. For the first time, we have the following in place at one time: an Office of Broadband Development, aggressive state task force funding recommendations, a team of legislative champions, and proposed broadband funding, with a state budget surplus!

At the federal level, the FCC is seeking innovative solutions to rural broadband deployment through its proposed experimental program.

With all this positive energy, community leaders might think that they can just sit back and watch fiber deployment happen across their piece of rural Minnesota. That is wrong, wrong, wrong!

On the legislative side, constituents need to let their senators and representatives know that broadband funding is a HIGH priority. Monitoring the various and understanding how various amendments might affect the final outcome of the legislation is a critical and constant task. There are many competing demands for the available surplus supported by well-organized stakeholder groups. If Internet Service Providers and community broadband advocates cannot get on the same page, legislators might support initiatives where there is more consensus.

At the legislature and at the FCC, there seems to be a “solve this problem one place at a time” mindset. It does not appear that there will be a “top-down, one size fits all” solution. This approach bodes well for the well prepared – for those communities/counties/regions with public-private partnerships or public sector strategies in process, for those who are committed to add their own funds to supplement the FCC or state dollars, for those with “shovel-ready” projects. Can you include your area in that readiness category? With 500,000 unserved Minnesota households, appropriated funds fall short of need.

My advice: don’t sit and wait for someone else to deliver a solution. Follow the successful path of those communities whose federally funded stimulus fiber networks are almost now complete; they were prepared when that funding became available. Put your community at the front of the line with aggressive planning and partnering now so that you can adjust your plans to fit whatever programs and dollars emerge over the next several months.

Stirring the Pot: Jan 2014

As first posted on the Blandin on Broadband blog

It has been fun for Karl Samp and me to work with the nine Blandin Broadband Communities as they developed partnerships and project plans for another round of BBC grant applications. Critical to their success are the teams that are functioning well in bringing the right people and groups – economic development, schools, chambers, ISPs, health care providers, social service agencies and others – together to address community opportunities.

Through MIRC and BBC, Blandin Foundation has helped communities form these teams and fund projects. The communities have demonstrated that they can both leverage and stretch these funds for widespread impact. The change is real and positive.

Imagine if we had many more of these teams in rural Minnesota? And why not in suburban communities and urban neighborhoods too? Enhanced digital literacy, smarter workers, more innovative companies all making effective use of wired and wireless networks. Why not?

Stirring the Pot Oct 2013

As originally posted on the Blandin on Broadband eNews

Just when you think that you know it all, you get new information that messes with your confident line of thinking.  This morning, I saw a summary of a study by the Leichtman Research Group that claims that almost 80% of American households have a broadband connection at home and that two-thirds of those folks also have a smartphone with data plan.  So I am thinking “What’s with all this talk about the need for public entities and non-profits to promote broadband adoption?”  Later in the day, I answer a phone call from someone who sounds a bit like my 93 year old mom, which brings me back to my teen years – “Where are you?” she asks, probably hoping that I am not in India!

I have no idea how Janice got my phone number, but she lives in rural Minnesota.  She had just purchased a computer, but had no idea how to set it up.  Needing some good karma, I took her name and phone number, fired up Google and searched for her community’s library.  I talked with a very nice librarian (is there any other kind?) and she gave me the name and phone number of a kindly computer guy in town.  I called him, made the referral and he promised to call her. I am not sure if this would be free or fee for service, but hopefully Janice’s problem is solved!

The take rate study, Janice’s call and a meeting I attended yesterday puts several thoughts into my head.

First, we need to abandon the idea that we need broadband adoption activities to help telecom providers make their business case to invest in delivering broadband services. With the high costs of serving the remaining unserved areas with fiber to the home or fiber to the node DSL, it is impossible to make a business case for investment in these areas with an 80% or even a 100% adoption rate without some types of subsidy such as those that have enabled our rural coops to build fiber their networks or by using the long term finance capacity of government agencies.

Second, we need to continue to build support services for people like Janice who are new computer and Internet users.  The public purpose in providing this assistance is clear – a well-connected citizenry is well-positioned to use online government, business and health services as well as to improve their connection to friends and family.

Finally, a concept advanced some time ago by Danna MacKenzie, Cook County IT visionary at a Blandin event, was proved true to me again yesterday – everyone has their own level of digital illiteracy.  Yesterday, I was reminded of my technical shortcomings when I was at a meeting discussing hackathons and hackfests.  My conception of ‘coding’ is about as advanced as Janice’s computer set-up skills.  We all have lots of learning to do to keep up with our amazing world.  I give Janice a lot of credit for moving forward with her new computer and I am learning about hackathons.  As a side note, I am also enrolled in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) from Northwestern University School of Journalism looking at Google – with 41,000 other students from 150 countries!!