Blandin Foundation WebinarBroadband Best PracticesBill ColemanCommunity Technology AdvisorsOctober 20, 2009

DiscussionWhat broadband changes are you struggling to make happen in your community?

Local Technology MarketplaceHow do we make this work?

The Broadband Vitality Equation

Rural Broadband Best Practices

Networks in MinnesotaPublic SectorPrivate SectorQwestRegional carriers like Zayo and EnventisIndependent telephone companiesCable television companiesCLECsNational carriersCellular carriersState of Minnesota (mostly leased)Public safety wirelessSchool districts (owned and leased) Counties and municipalitiesI-NetsISPs/Triple playMyth: We only ride our own networks!

What is Broadband?Various Government Goals (in Kb)1 Gb100 Mb10 Mb786k

UbiquityAccording to Connected Nation, 96% of Minnesotans have access to broadband at 786k download or betterAlmost all without broadband connection options are in rural areas80/20 rule of deployment costsWhat is the situation in your community?How does your ubiquity change as the bandwidth standard goes up?Is broadband ubiquitous if it is beyond the financial reach of many citizens?

Bandwidth Costs Impact AffordabilityInternet Connection Costs100 Mb at the Minneapolis NAP = $4-$8/Mb100 Mb to greater MN locations = $65-$88/Mb Within a networkOperational costs of bandwidth flowing within a network are very low.State BB task force recommends that providers make efforts to keep more network traffic in MN rather than pay to send it to Chicago and back

Community Fiber NetworksNext Need: Citizens!

Stimulating Network Investment

Best Practices

Partnering in Brainerd Lakes Area to use school district fiber ring investment to jumpstart CLEC activities in Brainerd, Baxter and Nisswa – filling the “black hole” and stimulating competitive response from Qwest and Charter.Partnering in Staples to build community fiber ring connecting key institutions and deploying wireless technology to serve the greater Staples area.

ECMECC(East Central MN Education Cable Cooperative)Cooperative connects 13 school districts throughout east central region with high capacity fiberFiber provided by US Cable and SGI Cable companiesCompanies leveraged fiber investment to bring broadband to small communities within the region

High capacity fiber network investment in partnership with private sector to link all Scott County facilities and communitiesPartnerships with Dakota and Blue Earth Counties and Minnesota State University-Mankato to add redundancy and valueEnables easier entry for competitive broadband services throughout the county

Committed municipal effort to build FTTHTDS competitive response with FTTHIs this really a best practice case study?Double investment in fiber capacityHuge legal fees by city and TDSLost time before deploymentCommunity energy

Emerging ProjectsSouthwest Fiber Project – extension of Windom city network to surrounding rural communitiesCook County – countywide FTTP networkLake County – countywide FTTP networkLac qui Parle County – county partnership with Farmers Telephone to explore 100% FTTHLeech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Community CompetitivenessThe most important connections are within your own communityThe network value accelerates with more people connectedTech-centered companies want high-capacity, low-cost, redundant networksEntrepreneurs want connectivity in the places where they want to live which may be outside of the community

DiscussionHow is your network treating your community?

Rural Broadband Best Practices

General Subscription Trends

Growing Online Sophistication

Growing Sector Sophistication

Tech Support is Critical

Promoting Tech Investments through Tech Champions

Best Practices

Best Practices - SubscriptionEducation of targeted groups through tech classes, tech fairsRecycling of used computers to those without them, especially tied to classes Increase access at libraries, schools, senior centers and other places

Best Practices - SophisticationWeb site and other technology training, especially for small businesses, non-profits and community organizationsWeb site assessment services, especially for small businesses, non-profits, community organizationsWeb site development subsidies for small businessesFacilitated discussions about community web site linking strategies, especially Web 2.0 applications

Best Practices – Tech SupportAdd capacity to existing tech support companies through trainingBundle demand for tech support via joint purchasing and by vetting qualityAttract tech support companies to your community through attraction and entrepreneurial support

Create and Support Tech ChampionsIdentify those with tech vision in schools, government, health care and businessBring tech visionaries together to discuss plans and collaboration opportunitiesUse community communication vehicles like web sites, newspapers, newsletters and cafes to promote technologySupport technology investments

DiscussionWhat are the barriers to technology adoption in your community?

Bill Coleman