Blandin Foundation Community Broadband Resource Program

Blandin Foundation promotes the active engagement of communities in ensuring their own telecommunications and technology vitality, ranging from market development activities to infrastructure and service improvements.  Across Minnesota, communities vary widely in their level of technological savvy and involvement.  Currently, there is no programmatic assistance from state or regional agencies to help communities begin or maintain community technology initiatives.

The Community Broadband Resource Program provides assistance to communities in several ways:

Virtually

Blandin Foundation, through the Get Broadband and LightSpeed grant programs, the Blandin on Broadband blog and the Open Access Feasibility Fund, as well as the Policy Board, has developed significant online resources for communities.  This resource will be at the center of the Resource Program activities.

By convening

Blandin Foundation has a reputation for providing convening opportunities, both virtual and on location.  The Broadband Resource Program will continue to convene community leaders and topic experts for dialogue and learning. (Learn more about sample convening.)

By providing consulting assistance

Communities, when seeking to determine appropriate next steps towards technology vitality, are often without quality, tech-neutral, vendor-neutral advice.  The Community Broadband Resource Program will use select consultants to provide information and assistance to communities as they determine their appropriate role.  No grant funds will be made available to the communities, only short-term technical assistance.

Project Details - Read the News Release

• Targeted communities
  • Get Broadband communities
  • Other communities interested in telecommunication and technology vitality
• Resource Services
  • Project Assistance (limited to 32 hours of assistance)
    
    • High level community technology assessments of infrastructure, services and community demand
      
    • Market Development Activity organizing and planning
      
    • Technical and business expertise to develop fair and appropriate joint venture with providers
  • Ad hoc assistance
    • General information provided through telephone, email, referral to the Blandin website and others.
• Timeline
  • The Broadband Resource Program was announced in November 2007 at the Broadband Conference with online information available immediately.  Technical assistance will be made available from January 2008 – December 2009.
• Application Process
  • Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and administratively approved.
  • Complete application online
• Goals
  • Annually, the Broadband Resource Program will provide Project Assistance to 15 communities ranging from 16 to 32 hours.
    
  • Annually, the Broadband Resource Program will provide personal ad hoc assistance to 25 communities
• Outcomes
  • Increased utilization of broadband, public and leadership awareness and engagement in the broadband issues area and public private investment
    
  • An evaluation process will be developed to measure success, primarily through information gathered in the application process and a survey following the project assistance.  Ad hoc assistance will be measured through indicators including a) signing up for the e-news and b) applying for project assistance.