2. • Input from:
– Blandin Broadband Strategy Board
– Key stakeholders
– Our community experience
• Key considerations
– Need to eliminate digital divide that threatens equal
opportunity
– Federal policies and programs like ARRA make a
difference
– Partnerships are key to success
– Broadband infrastructure is not enough; investments
in people, education and training are essential
3. Overarching Themes
• Enable, encourage and engage in
collaboration
• Support and spur rural broadband
cooperatives
• Continue efforts to spur adoption and
increase sophistication of use
4. Senator Klobuchar
• Encourage investment and adoption by:
– Strengthen existing programs
• BTOP
• USDA RUS
– Improve coordination with states
• Partner with state funds like DEED OBD
• Mapping
– Advance public private partnerships
• Dig once
• FirstNet
– Modern infrastructure
• Wireless spectrum
• Wireless deployment
5. Office of Broadband Development
• One-stop federal broadband website
• Federal support of broadband mapping
• More flexible federal broadband finance programs
• Close strategic coordination with state broadband initiatives
– Investment
– Permitting
– Bridge construction/ROW
– Housing
– Labor standards
– State inclusion on federal working groups
• USF
– E-rate
– Lifeline
– Health and education
• Digital inclusion
– Libraries
– Veterans
– Early education
