Minnesota Broadband Legislation
Two telecommunications bills are currently being discussed at the Minnesota House Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division. First, the statewide cable franchising bill has been discussed twice and is scheduled to be discussed again on April 13, 2007. (Learn more on the Blandin on Broadband blog.) Second, a bill was introduced last month to establish a broadband policy director and advisory committees and to set a goal of 1Gbit broadband Internet access throughout the state by 2015; it will be up for discussion again in 2008. (Learn more.)

The US is Number 7
Yet another research report tracks a downward slide by the US in terms of technology leadership. According to a report from the World Economic Forum, the US ranked seventh in the Forum's 2006-07 Networked Readiness Index. The Forum still calls the US a powerhouse but complex regulatory environment and a lack of technology adoption by individuals, businesses and government organizations is blamed for the slide.

Not Going Mobile Yet
According to a recent survey, 90 millions Americans access the Internet via broadband connection. Most of those users have an Internet-enabled handheld device but only 5 percent actually go online with their cell phones or PDAs. Cost and screen size were top reasons people did not use handheld devices to go online.

Home Telehealth Reduces ER Visits
Two surveys published last fall both indicated that patients who were monitored at home via telehealth machines had fewer trips to the emergency room and to their doctors. One study found that telehealth patients save an average of nearly $134,000 in hospital stays and more than $5,300 in emergency room visits.

More News on the Blog
Looking for more broadband news? Please check out the Blandin on Broadband blog. Recent stories include legislative updates, announcements of upcoming events, and broadband news with a local interest. (Read more.)

Featured Story - Internet II in K12 Schools in Minnesota
 
TIES provides technology and technology education to K12 teachers and administrators. While their focus is primarily the Twin Cities, their work has an impact on the state and beyond. One of their recent projects was to support fourth grade VJs or video jockeys for the 2007 Megaconference Jr, a day-long videoconference where K12 students around the world conduct programs and experiments for other K12 students. Four fourth graders from Evergreen Park World Studies Elementary School in the Anoka Hennepin School District were chosen as one of the nine youth VJ teams to emcee the event and TIES was there to make it happen. (Learn more about the event.)

The Megaconference Jr. is one example of an event made possible by Internet2, a high speed network developed exclusively for educational and research use. The speed of Internet2 from TIES to Chicago is 10Gbit; the connection from schools to TIES is 1Gbit.

According to Dan Boehlke, a Senior Network Engineer with TIES, videoconferencing has been a major application over Internet2. HD (high definition) is taking videoconferencing to a whole new level. Suddenly remote science experiments and virtual reality have become a practical option for students. Virtual field trips have the distinct advantage of not requiring transportation, which saves time for rural schools and minimizes logistic issues and costs for all schools. Other curriculum opportunities over Internet2 include peer-to-peer video sharing, remote instrumentation (such as adjusting telescope specifications from afar), GIS applications, gaming and simulation.

One current issue with implementing Internet2 applications in the classroom is helping teachers learn about opportunities and supporting their efforts. TIES helps with ongoing seminars and numerous resources on their web site. For example, you can learn about Alex’s Virtual Lemonade Stand, a Global Youth Services Day project (happening April 11-16) with online administrative and curricular support.

Dan also mentioned Internet2 applications for administrators such as access to libraries of open source software applications, online testing, and encouraged increased partnerships. (See more Internet2 curriculum and administrative applications.)

TIES is currently striving to connect their members schools via fiber. The Learning Network is an effort in rural Minnesota and for higher education institutes. Visit the Blandin on Broadband blog for a recent post that includes a map of school districts and telecommunications access.

Benton County
Benton County provided nine $500 grants to public and private elementary schools in the area. Examples of funded projects include software and video training for teachers and students, equipment and a portable computer for presentations.

Cohasset
Cohasset received a $900,000 federal EDA grant to build a new Technology and Innovation Center to house hi-tech start up companies and hopefully generate new jobs. The Center will be located at the Industrial Park and tenants will have access to broadband Internet. 

Cohasset is planning Technology Nights during the month of April and its second Technology Fair for Monday April 16th 2:00 – 7:00 PM.  They are planning to have a variety of vendors and educational sessions.

Montevideo
Montevideo is getting excited about their activity plan and what will transpire over the next 6 months.

Moose Lake
The City of Moose Lake website, the engine that will dive the Moose Lake/Blandin “Get Broadband” Project, is almost ready to go live. A bulletin feature has been added to facilitate public service announcements and local emergency broadcasts. Two training sessions emphasizing the advantages of using broadband as a common communications and information management system for early responders are planned for April. Finally, Year II Blandin funding will allow Moose Lake to set up and manage an Electronic Information and Data Center in the Moose Lake Public Library.

Rushford
Computer classes for seniors have been extremely popular in Rushford. Classes at the library already have a waiting list and more classes are set to begin soon at the Our Good Shepherd Nursing Home. Area businesses are developing websites to promote their businesses, and Rushford is considering having some of the current business sites evaluated for efficiency. 

April 13 – Statewide Cable Franchising (State Capitol, St Paul, MN) – traditional telecommunications companies and cable companies debate the merits of a statewide cable franchise. (Time and date of meeting subject to change.)

April 17 - Internet2 Day (various locations) - a daylong video teleconference for educators to explore ways to expand Internet2 in Minnesota schools.

April 24 -Tech Tools 2.0: The Right Tools for Effective Communications (Minneapolis, MN)- topics span a broad range of technology expertise.

April 30 – May 2 – Killer App (Fort Wayne, IN) - explores the applications that are driving broadband use and adoption worldwide. Killer App is looking for presenters. Visit their web site for more information. Deadline for applications is January 15, 2007.)

May 10-11 - Minnesota Rural Summit (Brainerd, MN) – the theme for the 10th annual Minnesota Rural Summit is "Kickoff to Minnesota's Sesquicentennial - Thriving by Design!!".

June 7-8 – Broadband Policy Summit III (Arlington, VA) - will tackle the tough questions plaguing lawmakers, regulators and business executives.

Anticipating Expectations

Planning a ski vacation in Colorado, I anticipated that I would be able to keep up with my email and voicemails. I knew that my cell phone would work and figured that I would easily be able to get a WiFi connection. For the most part, my expectations were met, though not without some challenge.  My cell phone worked, even on the ski hill. Luckily it did not ring very often with work-related calls. 

From my condo, I was able to pick up multiple wireless network signals. Two unsecured networks were available most of the time, though the signal was weak. I didn’tt know who was providing me with this access, but I thanked them for it. I was limited to sitting by the window as the signal faded at the dining room table; sometimes the signal faded altogether for short time periods. One of my friends, staying in a more remote setting, struggled to find a downtown parking space with an available wireless connection, a bigger challenge.

How does your community meet travelers’ expectations? Can they find valuable information about your community prior to a visit? Can they easily find public access points with computers or wireless access with convenient hours?  Failure to meet these expectations will leave travelers with a negative perception of your community. 

Communities need to be aggressive in anticipating and fulfilling tomorrow’s technology expectations, not only for travelers, but also for youth, prospective doctors, other professionals and residents. Smart communities will be positioning themselves in front of the curve, rather than always playing catch-up. You need an ongoing technology plan and a multi-disciplinary team of technology advocates to ensure that your community is positioned as a tech savvy place to live, work and play.

Food Force - www.food-force.com
Published by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Food Force is an educational computer game where players take on missions to distribute food in a famine affected country and to help it to recover and become self-sufficient again while they learn about hunger in the real world and the WPF's work to prevent it.