Access to high-speed internet is arguably one of Minnesota’s most pressing economic infrastructure challenges in decades. The internet is an invaluable tool for all Minnesotans – from connecting our very youngest learners in the classroom with innovative online applications, to empowering small businesses through e-commerce, to sharing news and information, to helping those in need. As the number of mobile users of both digital applications and data networks increase, so do the opportunities for exploitation.

Last spring, Governor Mark Dayton announced the Border-to-Border Broadband Development Grant Program. Administered by Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Office of Broadband Development, this program seeks to expand high-speed broadband to areas of Minnesota that are unserved or underserved by providing upwards of $35 million in grants to broadband infrastructure.

Minnesota IT Services, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Minnesota Department of Commerce, make up the Governor’s broadband subcabinet. The subcabinet is responsible for collaborating on state government-wide broadband policies. A task force was created to develop policies promoting the expansion of broadband access in Minnesota. The task force is focused on developing an action plan for identifying and correcting disparities in access and adoption of broadband in all Minnesota communities - urban, rural, and suburban - helping to ensure that homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses have access to the technology.

It’s a statewide goal that, no later than 2022, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to high-speed broadband that provides minimum download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second and minimum upload speeds of at least three megabits per second; and no later than 2026, all Minnesota businesses and homes have access to at least one provider of broadband with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second and upload speeds of at least 20 megabits per second. The Office of Broadband Development, in partnership with Connected Nation, has developed an Interactive Map displaying available broadband services across the state of Minnesota.

Last week, Blandin on Broadband released a report from SNG, Broadband Economic Impact Estimate for Minnesota. In the report, SNG estimated 3,949 businesses adopting broadband infrastructure would create over 4,000 new jobs, $60,000 in new revenue for each business. With the new revenue and jobs, SNG estimated that Minnesota would receive $11 million in additional tax revenue in addition to an annual GDP increase of $293 million.

While access to broadband has real and positive impacts on businesses in Minnesota, high-speed internet also has significant effects to the state’s many educational institutions – providing them with the needed bandwidth to use the latest technologies to help prepare Minnesota’s students to succeed in our technological economy.

While our state is a leader in developing broadband infrastructure and ensuring that all citizens have access to high-speed internet, thousands of Minnesotans remain off-line. Broadband is vital to our state’s economic future.

Digital Government