Broadband Assessment for Schools

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has released an assessment of broadband for schools. The study indicates recommendations to address K-12 infrastructure needs. The information can be reviewed at http://www.setda.org/web/guest/broadbandimperative.

Community Connect Grant Program

The notice has been published for the Community Connect Grant Program through the United States Department of Agriculture. This grant opportunity is for the deployment of broadband service "to extremely rural, lower-income communities on a community-orientated connectivity." The notice can be viewed at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/SupportDocuments/rd-ruscommconnec2012-10614.pdf.
The Technical Assistance Grant findings and report will be available to communities this spring. Meetings have been set with model communities next week. Regional meetings will be set up following.

Broadband update

We continue to work on getting out Network Service Agreements to the various entities. Cities and townships will be getting updated agreements in April-May. These are currently being reviewed and are getting to the leaders in those communities. We look forward to getting critical service sites connected!

City Connections

The Northeast Service Cooperative hosted a meeting with RAMS city leaders with the assistance of RAMS Executive Director Ron Dicklich. Another meeting was conducted in Carlton County bringing together community leaders. At the meetings, NESC leadership discussed issues and solutions for cities looking to get sites connected to broadband, but may not be able to pay the minimum cost for participating in the project. One solution is looking at a Technology Needs Assessment throughout the region. The presentation is available for viewing at nesc.k12.mn.us/meetings.

Starting next week: Installation of network equipment at OTNs.

Photo: Haines & Arrowhead OTN site. Photo by Tiffany Anderson


Network equipment installation for the Optical Transport Network (OTN) equipment shelters remodels are scheduled to begin next week starting with Hibbing and continuing to Mountain Iron, Cloquet, Citon and UMD. It will take an estimated three days at each site for the installs. For the OTN prefabricated shelters, electrical is expected to be powered at Barnum and Floodwood this week, with testing and inspection to follow. The remainder of the sites have been prepared for additional equipment and battery arrival. 
Splicing at the remodel facilities will begin at the end of March into the first week of April. The equipment from Cyan will arrive in mid-April, with network provisioning and testing to follow.

Are you going to get connected?

We continue to work with critical service sites to get them connected to the project. Across Northeastern Minnesota, schools, libraries, higher education, state, county, city, health care are signing up to get connected to broadband. The deadline for being able to take advantage of the 50% anchor discount is quickly approaching. Anchors have until the end of the month to sign up and get that discount with the signing of a 10-year contract. If you have not heard from us regarding pricing, contact Melissa Cox at 218-748-7609 or mcox@nesc.k12.mn.us and we can go over information for getting your sites connected. When the snow and frost and road restrictions go, the next construction season will kick off in high gear. We look forward to bringing 915 miles of fiber optic backbone into eight counties: St. Louis, Carlton, Cook, Lake, Pine, Koochiching, Itasca and Aitkin.

Anchors

For anchors that have signed a Network Service Agreement, there are next steps to get your site connected. The anchors are responsible for inside wiring and equipment. We have information on our Website related to specifications for those at www.nesc.k12.mn.us/anchors/next steps.