Next Generation Broadband Conference – Oct 18-19
As regular readers know, the Blandin Foundation Next Generation Broadband conference is around the corner. Conference attendees can check out the latest technologies and applications, participate in the live and virtual discussions with gubernatorial candidates, and learn how public policy today will have an impact on broadband users tomorrow.

Register online (Get Broadband leaders - please use the freeB priority code). Whether you plan to attend or not, check out the pre-conference survey and gubernatorial e-debate, which is sponsored by the Blandin Foundation and coordinated by E-Demcoracy.org.

Final Get Broadband Applications Due November 11
Friday, November 10 is the final deadline for application to the Get Broadband program. The Get Broadband program has a documented track record of increasing broadband use in communities that is well above the statewide average of broadband adoption. Grants of up to $15,000 are available. Learn more online or contact Bill Coleman (bill@communitytechnologyadvisors.com) for a pre-application community workshop in your town.

Get Broadband at RuralTelecon
Bernadine Joselyn and Bill Coleman are presenting at the Rural Telecommunications Congress later this month.  The will be talking about a new approach to work with communities on adopting bandwidth-intensive applications. The working title is “Stimulating Community-Wide Technology Adoption”

100-Gig by 2010
Word is in from the Optical Expo held in Dallas in September - according to keynote speaker Simon Zelingher, VP of AT&T Research Labs, "We will need 100 Gbit/s (ed. backbone, not local infrastructure) by the end of the decade."  Increased multimedia content (such as video) and collaboration (such as VOIP) that require low latency and low amounts of packet loss are major causes for the increased need for broadband access. (Read more at Light Reading.) This sentiment was echoed at the NTCA conference, where rural telephone companies were advised to deploy tons of fiber in their systems to meet the ever-growing demand for bandwidth – especially with the advent of personalized video services and high definition television.

ISPs Boost Broadband Speeds
BellSouth plans to upgrade about 10 percent of the households it serves to 50 Mbps Internet access starting in 2007 — a service nearly 10 times faster than it now provides. BellSouth plans to use a faster version of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology called VDSL2. Charter Communications is also increasing speeds by adding a 10 Mbps data service tier. Upload speeds on their current 10-meg service will increase to 1 Mbps. Charter notes that home networks, online games, and music downloads are top reasons for the increased need for bandwidth (Learn more about BellSouth and VDSL2 or learn more about Charter.)

Monticello is Looking at Fiber
The Monticello City Council is taking a careful look at fiber optics. Based on a recently completed feasibility study, the council unanimously approved a recommendation from its Fiber Optics Task Force for the city to move forward to develop a broadband fiber optic network to serve the entire community.  Learn more from the Monticello Times.

11 Cities Join Iron Range Fiber Project
The Iron Range cities of Hibbing, Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes, Nashwauk, Ely, Tower, Gilbert, Coleraine, Keewatin, Chisholm, and Mt. Iron have joined the Joint Powers Agreement to explore the idea of an Iron Range Fiber to the Home Project. Other interested communities have until the second week of October to join the JPA.  Those actively considering the opportunity include Virginia, Eveleth, Two Harbors and Grand Marais.  The project is being managed by Northeast Service Cooperative and DynamicCity, Inc., with financial support from Iron Range Resources and the Blandin Foundation. 

High Tech, Small Town
While a recent Washington Post article (High-Tech Firms Get Small-Town Benefits) features high tech businesses that have located or relocated to rural areas of Kentucky to take advantage of the lower costs and comforts of living in rural towns, the New Hampshire Business Review paints a different picture of Verizon selling off their land lines in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Verizon says they are “constantly evaluating assets”; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have teamed up to form a “Stop the Sale” coalition, claiming that they are fighting to ensure that Verizon provides the best quality services to customers as promised during earlier Verizon transitions.  

Benton County
Benton County is working with the senior community to get seniors online. They are also considering options for getting business online and learning more about e-commerce options. (Learn more)

Cohasset
The Cohasset Committee has identified a couple of potential WIFI areas and hopes to collaborate with the property owners of selected spots to figure out what it will take to get them up and running. More people are asking for WIFI and the Cohasset Committee feels that it makes good sense for the community. The Committee also is considering the possibilities of working with local businesses to help them use their web sites more effectively.

Edge of the Wilderness
The Edge of Wilderness is getting ready for the Get Broadband Get Connected Expo, being held on October 3 at the Marcell Family Center. (Learn more)

Five Small Towns
Five Small Towns is working to increase broadband awareness and knowledge, promote an e-commerce environment, and increase web site development. (Learn more)

Fosston
Fosston is busy preparing for their Technology Fair, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on October 5 at the Fosston Civic Center, located right along Highway 2 in Fosston. (Learn more)

Red Wing
Red Wing Connects is sponsoring a tech fair for the public and convening a planning group to discuss future broadband activities. They have created a project logo and web site. (Learn more)

Meet Northland Connect Broadband
[Editor’s note: The Get Broadband Team does not promote any specific broadband technology. We hope to feature various broadband and community resources, including other industry associations in future editions.]

Northland Connect Broadband is a consortium of four Minnesota-based electric cooperatives: Arrowhead Electric Cooperative, East Central Energy, Lake Country Power, and North Itasca Electric. They have joined together to bring satellite-based Internet service to their communities through WildBlue, a national satellite service provider.

The advantage of satellite service, especially in rural areas, is that it is available everywhere. Areas that previously had only dialup access – even areas where there are no phone lines – can now get access to broadband speeds of up to 1.5Mbps with satellite. It has been a good fit for Minnesotans living up on islands in the lakes areas.

Northland Connect Broadband has been providing services since June, 2005. They have 1,800 subscribers, which makes them the number 2 WildBlue provider in the US. Currently the WildBlue services are available to communities only through Coops or telephone companies who are members of NRTC (National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative).

Joel Karels at North Itasca Electric Co-op., Inc. says, “WildBlue is a new technology that has been working very well for us in remote areas. We have had few problems and WildBlue has been very receptive to issues. The startup and equipment costs have recently been lowered to $199. Soon WildBlue will be launching another satellite.”

Northland Connect Broadband covers MN, ND, and SD. If your community wants more information please contact Joel directly at 218-743-1323 or call the main number at 866-567-1919.

October 9-19 (virtual) – Minnesota Gubernatorial Online E-Debates where citizens are invited to ask a question or sign up to read along via email as the debate progresses.

October 12-13 (Brooklyn Park, MN) – MART Annual Meeting will support and promote the interests of rural telecommunications providers in Minnesota.

October 18-19 (Alexandrian, MN) – Get Broadband Statewide Broadband Conference and the Attracting and Sustaining Volunteers Workshop on Oct 18!

October 21-22 (Pittsburg, PA) – Technology in the Arts Conference will explore the role of technology in arts planning and programming.

October 22-25 (Little Rock, AR) - 10th Annual Conference of the Rural Telecommunications Congress will talk about broadband and emerging rural economies.

November 14, 2006 – World Usability Day promotes the values and benefits of usability engineering and user centered design, because everyone has the right to have things that work better.

November 15-16 (Alexandria, MN) – Minnesota Telecom Alliance Fall Conference and Communications Seminar.

Email and the Internet are great tools for communication. The phrase "One to Many" captures the ability of one person, with one click, to send information to many people. Many can mean 20 or 20,000 or 20 million.  Our error is in thinking that when we click and hit send that our message is received; received not only in the Inbox, but delivered into the recipient’s understanding and acceptance.  This isn’t always the case and here are some reasons why.

Just as your email reaches your target's Inbox, so do many other messages.  Some people receive more than 100 emails per day.  Others do not check their email with any regularity. Just because you send it, does not mean that anyone is reading it.

When you deliver your message face-to-face, you receive feedback through words, tone of voice and facial expressions. Your ability to judge receptivity is high. With an email, you are unsure whether the message is received, understood or accepted. Even if the recipient responds, it can sometimes be difficult to determine the meaning of the response.  If someone responds "OK", their level of support cannot be determined. They may be supportive, neutral or even negative; it's hard to know.

There is good reason to vary your use of communications tools.  Mix in some face-to-face and telephone conversations, especially when you are working with new people.  Surprise someone with a personal note.  The blend will add richness to your knowledge of your colleagues, give you valuable feedback and will even make your emails more effective. 

Access E-Government - http://www.access-egov.info/
Access E-Government is a training tool for local governments. It helps them develop dynamic, information-rich websites that meet the needs of residents and government. The training can take place online or the tool can be presented in a classroom or other facilitated setting.