MN Broadband Conference 2019: Blandin Foundation

1. FEASIBILITY FORWARD
Moving from Studies to Projects!

2. LE SUEUR
COUNTY

3. CENTRAL IRON RANGE

4. DEPARTMENT OF IRON RANGE RESOURCES
&
BLANDIN FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP
Spur enhanced access to broadband and increase the number and
sophistication of broadband users within NE MN
Communities Participating
Hibbing
Chisholm
Ely
Grizzlies (Cook, Orr & Bois Forte)
Mountain Iron-Buhl
Aitkin County
Laurentian Chamber Area
East Range Joint Powers Board
Tower Area
Iron Range Tourism
Program Benefits
Project Grant Funding
Feasibility Study Grant Funding
Technical Assistance
Information/Education Support
Convenings

5. FEASIBILITY STUDIES: TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
1. To help make the region shovel ready for federal or state broadband infrastructure grant programs
2. To show potential providers community support, potential take rates and project costs.
3. Feasibility Study Groups do this via:
• Formation of a Steering Team
• RFP and selection of consultant team
• Identification of existing conditions
• Market survey (statistically valid & mapped)
• Identification of community rooted solutions
• Preliminary engineering
• Translate preliminary engineering into cost estimates
• Potential provider engagement
• Partnership & Project development
• Detailed Engineering
• Grant Applications
ID Served vs. Unserved
High Level Cost Estimates

6. BETTER TOGETHER
2017 Collaboration
•Hibbing
•Chisholm
•Mountain Iron-Buhl
•Cherry
2019 Collaboration
•Laurentian Chamber
Area
•East Range Joint
Powers Board
•Tower Area

7. FUNDING TRACKER

8. IRON RANGE – LAURENTIAN,TOWER,ERJPB
(LTE) GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1. All Blandin Broadband Community (BBC) cohorts financially participating
in the study can send up to three steering committee members with voting
rights to each meeting.
2. The BBC cohort where the meeting is held will be the host of the
meeting and arrange the location, remote in, and facilitate the agenda and
taking of notes.
3. The fiscal host will present an accounting of the fund as requested by
the committee with advance notice given to prepare the report.

9. IRON RANGE – LAURENTIAN,TOWER,ERJPB
(LTE) FUNDING PRIORITIES
1. Funds will be spent to secure a feasibility study for the communities contributing to the
fund.
2. Funds will be spent to secure detailed engineering and/or grant funding to further the
work of the Iron Range LTE Broadband Community cohorts as voted on by the Feasibility
Study Committee, keeping in mind that each community’s funding will be dedicated to
these items in their area, unless they approve the expenditure otherwise.
3. Any corporate or other donations into this fund, unless otherwise designated by the
organization up front, will be spent proportionally to the amount funded out of the total:
first on the Feasibility Study and second on the detailed engineering and/or grant work
for the entire area participating in the feasibility study.
4. Virginia’s City Administrator, Britt See Benes, will act as the fiscal agent.
a. (218) 748-7500
b. britts@virginiamn.us

10. Side Lake Fiber to the Home Project

11. Cherry Township Fiber to the Home
Project

12. CHISAGO
COUNTY

13. PROVIDERS IN CHISAGO COUNTY
• Purple CenturyLink
• Red – Frontier

14. CHISAGO LAKE TOWNSHIP FEASIBILITY STUDY
• North Chisago Lake - $5,485
• South Chisago Lake - $4,070
• Survey $3,000
$12,555
• Blandin $6,277.50
• HRA-EDA $3,138.75
• Chisago Lake $3,138.75

15. FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP
• CTC Engineering Study
and Survey
• $5,350 Engineering
• $1,500 Survey and marketing
• $6,850 Total
• $3,425.00 (50%) - Blandin
Foundation
• $1,712.50 HRA-EDA - 25%
• $1,712.50 Franconia Twp - 25%

16. FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP SURVEY DATA

17. FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP SURVEY DATA

18. FRANCONIA BROADBAND FUNDING

20. TAX IMPACT

21. FINANCIAL BENEFIT AND ROI

22. ROI BREAKDOWN ($300,000
RESIDENTIAL HOMESTEAD)

23. CELEBRATION AND EDUCATION

24. North
Branch
Feasibilit
y Study