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eNews: MN Monthly Recap Sep 2022: Federal funding planning and rejection
Posted on September 7, 2022 by Ann Treacy
Blandin Foundation’s New Strategic Direction
After speaking with leaders across rural Minnesota, the Blandin Foundation is moving forward with excitement to focus on three areas of priority:
- Rural Placemaking for arts, culture and systems people use to create the unique destinations and social fabric rural folks love about their home places and their identity;
- Community Wealth Building so communities can build their bases of knowledge, money and more, and keep it close to home; and
- Small Communities to get those places, especially in our home giving area, grants to fund work that changes systems to work better for everyone.
MN Broadband Task Force Aug 2022
The Task Force got a tour of the Office of Broadband Development interactive mapping tool. They also heard from Scott Marquardt from the Southwest Initiative Foundation. He noted that the top concerns in his area are: housing, childcare and broadband.
LTD Broadband RDOF application rejected
The FCC rejects RDOF applications of LTD Broadband and Starlink. In Minnesota, LTD Broadband had been awarded the opportunity to apply for $311 million to expand broadband in rural MN. However, many potential customers and industry leaders were afraid that that lacked the capacity to be successful. So the rejection is met with mixed responses.
Before the FCC rejection, the Minnesota PUC starting to look at LTD Broadband’s qualifications. Post-rejection, they continue to investigate revoking their ETC designation. The next prehearing call happens September 10.
State News
- Digital Divide Index show readiness for impacts of COVID quarantines: Most MN counties are ready but not all
- MN may see $650M for broadband but expected cost to deploy is $1.3B
- 2022 Border-to-Border Grant Application Projects added as new layer to Office of Broadband’s Interactive Map
- MN Rep Pelowski is recognized by Minnesota Rural Electric Association for supporting broadband
- WCCO-CBS looks at rural broadband in Minnesota
- 135 Border-to-Border Broadband Applications Received—Challenge Process Begins
Federal News
- FCC fines providers for RDOF defaults including $2.3M to LTD for defaults in KS and OK
- FCC takes back Auto Safety Spectrum for Wi-Fi
- Access to telehealth is a digital equity issue
- US House Lawmakers Urge Biden Administration to co-locate broadband and EV charging infrastructure
- Representative Angie Craig talks up broadband and federal funding
- Whitehouse reports in broadband investment through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Minnesota
Vendor News
- Telehealth saved lives of patients with opioid addiction
- Globally fiber is growing faster than other mode of broadband
- Quantum Fiber (Lumen Tech) to expand fiber in MN
Local Broadband News
Bois Forte Band
Broadband update from with Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Cook
City of Cook is looking at having fiber before winter
Cook might benefit from FCC rejection of LTD RDOF application
Paul Bunyan may have Gig access to Cook MN before the end of the year (St Louis County)
Douglas County
Gardonville applies for Border to Border grants for Carlos and Nelson MN (Douglas County)
Duluth
Duluth New Tribune opinion piece says government involvement is needed to get broadband to some communities
Duluth is looking at Open Access Fiber Options with the help of State funding
Duluth gets $24.9 million through USDOT’s RAISE program in part for broadband
UMD is bringing back telehealth counseling by popular demand
Duluth pursues Border to Border grant for Lincoln Park
Harmony
Harmony Telephone to build FTTH in Harmony (Fillmore County)
Kandiyohi County
Kandiyohi County Commissioners support three Border ro Border grant applications
Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County and Bevcomm are applying for Border to Border funds
Martin County
Martin County Commissioners support Frontier’s Border to Border application for Fairmont, Northrop and Ceylon
Mille Lacs County
Mille Lacs County support SCI’s Border to Border grant application
Minneapolis
Lumen (aka CenturyLink) to offer 8-gig broadband in Minneapolis
Morrison County
Morrison County Commissioner support Border to Border grant from Charter Communications
Northeast Minnesota
A fiber cut takes down internet and phone service in Northeast Minnesota (Cook & Lake Counties)
Top tips for the housing crisis in NE Minnesota –include get better broadband
Redwood County
Update on Redwood County’s Blandin supported Lead Fellowship
Rodgers, Dayton & Wayzata
Comcast expands broadband to Rogers, Dayton and Wayzata MN (Hennepin & Wright Counties)
Rogers City Council approves Border to Border grant application (Hennepin County)
Scandia
Scandia moving forward with broadband plans with MidCo and Frontier (Washington County)
Sherburne County
Sherburne County Board approved $600k for 3 broadband grants to Midco
Sherburne County to invest $1.5 million from ARPA in better broadband
Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Resources
- EVENT Sep 7: Webinar on how to Challenge National Broadband maps
- EVENT Sep 12: Affordable Connectivity Program Sign Up Day in Inger
- EVENT Sep 12-16: FCC and Paul Bunyan raise awareness of Affordable Connectivity Programs
- EVENT Sep 15: Webinar on getting assistance from Affordable Connectivity Program
- EVENT Sep 20: MRBC IIJA/BEAD Broadband Funding Webinar
- OPPORTUNITY: position open on the MN Broadband Task Force
- OPPORTUNITY: Call for Video Submissions for #DIW2022! Deadline Sep 7 (today)
- OPPORTUNITY: Experienced Online Digital Skills Instructors Needed
- OPPORTUNITY: USDA ReConnect Program Round 4 funding applications open Sep 6 to Nov 2
Federal Funding Tools
- ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks Initiative unveils new Affordable Connectivity Program Dashboard
- Practical instructions for getting a community invested in BEAD from Benton
- How are the National Providers looking at BEAD – according to Doug Dawson
- Institute of Local Self Reliance announce training to help communities manage broadband deployment
Update from Blandin Foundation
Dear Rural Broadband Champions,
It’s been a significant year for investments in rural broadband access and use. I hope you, and your network of changemakers, are celebrating this moment of triumph and reflecting on all the work you’ve done to bring this abundance of opportunity to rural places.
When C.K. Blandin laid out his vision for Blandin Foundation, he directed its investments to strengthen rural communities without supplanting public responsibility. Our broadband programming built rural Minnesotans’ capacity to imagine their community’s broadband future and create the partnerships necessary to get the access and skills to realize that vision. It’s powerful to look at the map of folks we’ve worked with over the years, and see the impact made by rural people inspired to forge a tech-driven future for their community and its people.
The landscape has shifted since we began this work in 2003. With historic public funding on its way, coupled with recruitment challenges in our Blandin Broadband Communities Program, we now turn to the public responsibility of connecting the last miles.
Blandin Foundation is also shifting to meet today’s moment. After talking to leaders across rural Minnesota, and doing deep research, we’re focusing on three areas of work to move rural places forward:
- Rural Placemaking for arts, culture and systems people use to create the unique destinations and social fabric rural folks love about their home places and their identity;
- Community Wealth Building so communities can build their bases of knowledge, money and more, and keep it close to home; and
- Small Communities to get those places, especially in our home giving area, grants to fund work that changes systems to work better for everyone.
Technology will continue to be a thread woven through many of our program investments. While we do not have any specific work planned in the areas of broadband access or digital equity, we will continue to watch the space and assess our role.
As we set out on a new strategic direction, I’m thankful for the years of partnership and network building that made the broadband program so successful. Please stay in touch as we develop and communicate emerging opportunities from Blandin Foundation. We look forward to learning from you and with you as we step forward together towards strong rural communities.
Tuleah Palmer, Blandin Foundation President & CEO
