Yesterday, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced 10 new ARRA broadband stimulus awards. The total investment is more than $63 million in grants. The goal is to increase broadband access and adoption in more than a dozen states, including two that will help boost broadband adoption in Minnesota. One of the grants was awarded to the Blandin Foundation
Minnesota – C.K. Blandin Foundation: $4.9 million sustainable broadband adoption grant with an additional $1.5 million applicant-provided match to launch the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities initiative, a multi-sector, comprehensive approach to sustainable broadband adoption targeting residents, small businesses, local governments, and critical services providers in each of Minnesota’s 80 rural counties. The project anticipates training as many as 2,500 individuals in computer literacy, online education, and workforce development, and plans to distribute 1,000 affordable refurbished computers. Funding will also support the development of institutional broadband applications for schools and healthcare facilities to help increase broadband adoption. (Learn more)
It has been exciting to be a part of the process of developing the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) initiative and I am looking forward to helping to deployment the plan. Specifically, as Blandin reports, we will be focusing on the following…
The BTOP grant will be used to leverage resources of coalition partners to extend small business technical assistance and training, expand hours for access to workforce centers, distribute refurbished computers, train individuals and business, create courses for knowledge workers, bring to Minnesota an online network of care for mental health workers, etc.
Eleven communities throughout rural Minnesota also will receive up to $100,000 each to develop and demonstrate broadband projects through the grant. These “demonstration communities” are Benton County, Cook County, Grand Rapids/Itasca County, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, Stevens County, Upper Minnesota Valley region, Thief River Falls, Willmar/Kandiyohi County, Winona, Windom and Worthington.