Urban Broadband Users in Minnesota

Hi all.  Another reminder post -- our next meeting is this Friday.  And this time there's an additional feature -- an informal reception the night before.  This carries over a habit we got into when we were on the road this summer.  So click HERE to read the agenda and get the meeting materials, and click HERE to learn more about the reception the night before.  Heck, I like the topic of "beer" so much, here are the Beer details directly so you don't have to lift a finger;

Informal Reception with the Task Force at the Starks Saloon at 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 17

• Starks Saloon http://www.starks-saloon.com/ in Eagan.  Address:  3125 Dodd Rd Eagan, MN 55121-2308.  Phone:  651-454-8251
• Directions: From 35E, exit Lone Oak Road, go east to Hwy 55 (1 mile).  Right on Hwy 55 to first right at Dodd Road/149 (1/4 mile), Starks is on the right.  From 494, exit at Dodd Road. Road exit (1/2 mile east of 35E on 494). Turn Left at Light.  Go south 1/2 mile to Hwy 55, turn left at light, go to second light at Dodd Road/149 (1/2 mile).  Starks is on the right., ,,

Thanks to Diane Wells!  Here's the 1985 report from the Minnesota Telecommunications Council regarding advanced telecommunications in the state.  Key recommendations?

• Economic development is key
• There are regulatory issues that need to be addressed
• There are exciting possibilities for use by the public sector
• Follow-through is required (the report recommended the State Planning Agency as the home)

Click HERE to read this report.  Report number 8 on the pile of "reports that precede us."

A great set of proposals from Minnesota!  $283m in grants plus $105m in loans.  I guess there's some unmet need in this state after all. 

But the total amount applied for was around $28 billion, so our $388 million represents about 1.4% of the total and falls short of 2% of the total (assuming equal money per state) or 1.8% of the total (measuring Minnesota's population as a proportion of the US total).  So we're not quite above-average yet peepul.

Click HERE for a "canned" search of the NTIA applications database that was just released -- this search shows all the apps from Minnesota and is where I got that "headline" number.

Click HERE for the page where you can formulate your own search.