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#mnbroadband

#mnbroadband

Conference Supporters

• Arrowhead RDC

• Association of MN Counties

• Economic Development Association of MN

• Fiber to the Home Council

• Greater MN Partnership

• Headwaters RDC

• Initiative Foundation

• League of MN Cities

• MN Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators

• MN Association of Townships

• MN Rural Health Association

• Northland Foundation

• Northwest MN Foundation

• Region Five Development Commission

• Region Nine Development Commission

• Resilient Region Virtual Highway Taskforce

• Southern MN Initiative Foundation

• Southwest Initiative Foundation

• Southwest RDC

• West Central Initiative

A starting place for our work todayVision statement developed by our Strategy Board in 2004:

To ensure a high quality of life and a globally competitive

future for its citizens, businesses and communities,

Minnesota is committed to making the necessary

investment to become a world leader in the universal

deployment and use of ultra, high-speed next generation

broadband.

Developing our Shared Vision A Broadband Vision for MN Session I

• What words in this vision statement do you like?

• What would you add?

• What would you take out?

• What’s missing?

Our Vision Statement

All Minnesotans will use world class universal broadband networks that enable us to thrive in our communities and across the globe now and into the future.

Bringing our vision to lifeA Broadband Vision for MN Session II

• What is your reaction to the draft Vision Statement?

• What do we need for networks? • What tools do we need? (ex: state funding,

legislative actions, policies, forums to promote/facilitate collaboration)

• What do we need to do to incent the investment we need?

• What key questions or principles should decision-makers keep in mind?

Q1 Sumarry: What do we need for networks?

• Fiber… plus wireless

• Both kinds of networks: Human and Technical

• Speed/bandwidth

• Funding sources

Q2 Summary: What tools do we need?

• All of the above! State funding, legislative actions, policies, forums to promote/facilitate collaboration

• Political will through regulations that promote fiber sharing, campaign finance laws, state financing and guaranteed loan programs

• Big business buy-in• Dig once• Money• Communication Tools

– Success stories / Case studies / models / Community education, clear sound bits – universal messaging

Q3 Summary: What do we need to do to incent the investment we need?

• Give more power to counties/communities to move forward to get better broadband

• Encourage public-private to work together to streamline efforts and costs to lower barriers to deploy broadband (Dig Once, Streamlined permitting)

• Provide funding (Grants, revolving funds, loans, tax credits)

• Support adoption to build a business case to improve service by increasing take rate and promoting greater interest

Q4 Summary: What key questions or principles should decision-makers keep

in mind?• Connection speeds must be symmetrical• Think long term• Economic development, health and education all require

broadband• Government must be involved• Eliminate the digital divide for all groups facing disparate access• Wired and wireless service are interdependent, not substitutes• Dig once, coordination and planning across infrastructures are

essential• Why are other countries beating us?• High prices for broadband are like a tax on innovation.

Reviewing our work from Session II

• What stands out to you among these ideas?– How do you make people from all sectors work

together? – No longer asking “What is broadband?” We are now

trying to figure out how to get it!– When there is a sense of urgency, things can be

improved/implemented quicker than normal. – Could we follow in other countries’ footsteps? Which

ones?– Other countries may have better access to BB because

they have a “global perspective.” We need to change our perspective.

Reviewing our work from Session II

• What surprises you or concerns you?– There is a wall present--not a lot of interest or much discussion in the public

sector surrounding BB– Lack of a sense of urgency– The thought/idea that BB is not an important topic/subject to put money into-

again, no sense of urgency.

• What excites you?– The new maps!– Excited to see people from all corners of MN, especially county people-so the

word can be spread to local legislators,etc.

• What’s missing?– Getting politicians to recommit-- dealing with the realities of political ups and

downs is worth talking about.– The discussion needs to get outside this room-spread the word!