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!