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4ot a Luxury on could be connected. 411 Minnesota Legislature " passed a bill allocating t 'g $20 million for grants to �' communities seeking to boost their broadband. An even bigger deal is an estimated$86 million - r from the federal govern- ment's Connect America fund,which could make extending broadband more attractive to large — cable companies that thus far haven't seen the return on investment to do so. In short,speed- ing up rural access to the Internet has been steadily moving toward `. }' front-burner status in Minnesota One of the ' most active groups push- ing for rural broadband is the Blandin Foundation ity to significantly growyour audience;and in Grand Rapids.High-speed broadband"is by not being connected,you are losing that key to rural vibrancy and rural community chance to be connected to a national or even health,"says Bernadine Joselyn,the founda- international audience,[which]is becoming tion's director of public policy and engage- more and more imperative." ment The foundation is helping fund local In certain parts of the state,private efforts to"communities that want to plan companies have resisted and even fought their technology-enhanced future." community efforts to establish publicly Another vigorous proponent is the owned broadband services.But rural areas Greater Minnesota Partnership,which ad- may find that this is their only option. vocates for economic development outside Both private and public leaders should the Twin Cities metro."We need competi- look at rural broadband expansion as an tion,and sometimes the only competition opportunity for both sectors.Small towns comes from the threat of government might not seem like good investments for [providing]the service,"says executive di- cable providers and other telecommunica- rector Dan Dorman,who was a Republican lions companies.But that's changing,and legislator.Dorman points to small cities the Internet is pushing that change."If there like Monticello,where demand for stronger is a customer located in Two Harbors that broadband"wasn't driven by consumers has offices in Minneapolis or St.Cloud... saying,`Hey,I can't upload a picture to Face- we can make those connections so people book fast enough.'It was driven by industry can have high-speed connections point-to- going to the city and saying,`We need better, point to headquarters or offices anywhere in more robust broadband:" the world;'says Lake Connections general What's more,"the whole notion of entre- manager Jeff Rolland. preneurship is now tied to being connected;' Companies like Granite Gear are con- notes Bti Hoffman,program manager of the necting to a worldwide base of suppliers nonprofit Connect Minnesota,an infor- and customers.They have to—and being mation dearinghouse on state broadband able to do so boosts the economy of the capabilities."If you want to have a business entire state.Business,after all,isn't done just in greater Minnesota that caters to a small in big cities. g L . audience,or a storefront in your community and town,you can do that,"Hoffinan says. Gene Rebeck is TCB's northern Minnesota "But if you are connected,you have the abil- correspondent. JULY 2014 tcbmag.com TWIN CITIES BUSINESS 79