Letter: Still waiting for high speed internet access
The following is a letter to the editor submitted to the newspaper by a reader. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Echo Press. To submit a letter, send it to aedenloff@echopress.com or Echo Press, P.O. Box 549, Alexandria, MN 56308. 7:30 am, Apr. 30, 2021
To the editor:
Last year our neighborhood was excited to receive notice that Runestone Telecom would be installing high speed internet cable with access to our homes, thanks to the state Border-Border Grant Program. One year later we’re still waiting for that high speed internet access.
Long-term broadband services a commitment for West Central, CTC wadenapj.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wadenapj.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
As policymakers at all levels of government turn their attention to expanding broadband access, a number of state successes could inform their efforts. Chief among these is Minnesota: The state has long been praised for its robust, multifaceted approach to broadband expansion, which includes the Governor’s Broadband Task Force, a diverse group of constituents charged with representing the interests of their communities.
Task force member Bernadine Joselyn is director of public policy and engagement for the Blandin Foundation, based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, which focuses on strengthening rural communities in the state. This interview with her has been edited for clarity and length.
What Policymakers Can Learn From the Minnesota Model of Broadband Expansion pewtrusts.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pewtrusts.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
From staff reports
ST. PAUL The Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Finance and Policy Committee heard three bills on Wednesday that would provide funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program.
The bills would improve access to affordable broadband especially for the state’s underserved rural areas.
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program was created in 2014. The focus is to provide state resources that help make the financial case for new and existing providers to invest in building broadband infrastructure into unserved and underserved areas of the state. In the 2019 legislative session, $20 million was appropriated for fiscal year 2020 and 2021.