Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities

Planning for Broadband S553John C Shepard, AICPAPA’s 2013 National Planning Conference 15 April 2013

MIRC: Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities

Key Learning Objectives

•Broadband = Infrastructure

•Blandin Foundation project involved Minnesota Planners in expanding broadband access and use.

•Evaluation provides useful lessons for all Planners

MIRC: Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities

• Broadband is essential infrastructure for the 21st century

• Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans don't have access.

http://connectmn.orgused with permission

Broadband Adoption Rate

•Rural America is only 55% (NTIA 2011)

•Rural Minnesota is ~64%.

Access vs Adoption

•61,000 UNSERVED households (none avail) 150,000 people

•185,000 UNDERserved households (3Mbps/768k) 450,000 people

MIRC: Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities

• $6.3 million ARRA-funded Blandin Foundation project, drawing on the Intelligent Community Framework to mobilize partners across Greater Minnesota.

• Focus: Education & training, technical assistance, removing barriers to broadband adoption

http://www.blandinfoundation.org used with permission

MIRC — The Intelligent Community Framework

http://www.intelligentcommunity.orgused with permission

BroadbandKnowledge Workforce

Innovation

Digital Inclusion

Advocacy

Intelligent Community

Development Cycle

MIRC — State-wide Partners

Business Training

Resident Training

Evaluation

Outreach and Support

11 Demonstration Communities

MIRC — Demonstration Communities

• Benton County

• Cook County

• Grand Rapids Area

• Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

• Stevens County

• Thief River Falls

• Upper MN Valley RDC

• Willmar

• Windom

• Winona

• Worthington

http://communitytechnologyadvisors.com/used with permission

MIRC — Demonstration Project Examples

Upper MN Valley RDC•Computer Commuter mobile lab

•Public access to GIS

•Public TV Broadband promo

•Simplified PC interface for elderly health care

Windom•Videoconferencing equipment

•Emergency services remote access

•iPads/wifi at schools

•Community web portal

MIRC — Results

http://www.edacenter.org/mirc-dashboard.php used with permission

MIRC — Lessons Learned

Broadband is Infrastructure• Electric/Gas, Water/Sewer, Telephone/CATV

Access is Everything• Not All “Broadband” Service is Equal

• Rural Electric Cooperatives model

Adoption is Not Automatic• Create a Culture of Use (Community Development)

• Communication, Communication, Communication

MIRC: Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities

Blandin Foundation Community Broadband Program http://broadband.blandinfoundation.org

Blandin on Broadband Blog: http://blandinonbroadband.org

Intelligent Community Forum: http://www.intelligentcommunity.org

Connected Nation Broadband Mapping: http://www.connectednation.org/data-center-mapping

LinkAmerica Broadband Mapping: http://www.linkamericaalliance.com

John C. Shepard, AICP; Senior PlannerLaramie County (WY) Planning & Developmentjshepard @ laramiecounty.com / 307.633.4523