benton county mirc: community broadband adoption strategies
DESCRIPTION
Nancy Hoffman and Karl Samp talk about broadband adoption strategies supported by the Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC) program in Benton County at the March 2012 Minnesota Broadband Task Force meeting in Sauk Rapids, MN.TRANSCRIPT
Living Connected in Benton County
Minnesota Intelligent Rural Communities (MIRC)
Benton County MIRC
• Benton County Broadband History
• What is MIRC and how does Benton County measure?
• Project Contractors• Statewide Partners • Where do we go from
here?
Benton County’s BB History
– Foley Businesses and Schools– Broadband became part of our Economic
Development Strategy– Introduced to Blandin Foundation 2004
• Survey’s showed strong broadband access and options in the cities
• Outside of cities are lacking
– MIRC – 2010• Resources and projects • Community involvement
– Provider directory, assist business, more access
Benton County’s History
What is MIRC? (Minnesota Intelligent Rural
Communities)
and how is it measured?
Intelligent Community Forum• ICF – “Studies how communities use
communication technologies to build prosperity and address social problems”
• Robert Bell – Co-founder
• Benchmarking tool for DCs– Broadband Infrastructure and Services– Knowledge Workers– Innovation– Digital Inclusion– Marketing/Advocacy
Broadband• Access to broadband
• Penetration
• Broadband TypesBenton County Rated high - 19.11 out of 20 pts
– Top tier for availability– Medium to high penetration– Reasonable selection of providers
Knowledge Workforce
• Educational Attainment • Computers in Schools – Ratio of students to
computers and technology training for teachers.
• Access to higher education • Benton County rated 15.69 out of 20
– High percentage of community college degrees but low in undergrad and grad.
– Moderate PC to student ratio and technology training for teachers.
– High number of community college and undergrad degrees awarded per capita.
Digital Inclusion • Internet Access - % using the internet. • Affordability • Public Access – computers and training• Programs – Description and results of programs
for everyone • Benton County rated - Medium to low – 10.44 out nof 20
– Moderate rate of basic internet access for residents – Moderately expensive average BB prices – suggests
a lack of competition – Limited public access computer, but strong trainings
for new PC and internet users
Innovation • Business Starts• Start-Up Capital • Sectors - top 10 industrial growth sectors.• Employment – Ave. number and age of
employees• Gov. and schools with transactional site
Benton County - Slightly below average - 12.33 out of 20
Low rate of new business starts and absence of risk financing High average age of business Government web sites lack transaction capabilities, though schools do provide such capabilities
Marketing and Advocacy• Marketing –Econ. Dev. marketing including the Intelligent
Community message• Advocacy – A task force for implementing the Intelligent
Community effort
• Strategy and Tactics –for Econ. Dev. and Social Dev. using ICT and achievement of specific goals
• Benton County rated slightly below average - 8.8 out of 20
– Lack of a task force devoted to Intelligent Community Development
– Economic Development site, although scored well for quality, lacked the IC messaging
Robert Bell’s Recommendations • Inclusion of Intelligent Community Themes
in Economic Development Marketing • Creation of a task force to guide
development • Creation of a documented strategy and
programs • More public access locations• Stop “Brain Drain” connect students to
business
MIRCProject Contracts
Project Contracts
• 10 Contractor Organizations
• Over $50,000 in cash match
• Over $20,000 in in-kind match
• Over 200 Businesses Assisted
• Over 500 Residents Assisted
Independent Lifestyles, Inc.A Center of Independent Living
Project BRAVE: Broadband, Resources And Vocational Exploration
Set up a computer lab open to the their clients and the public and provide computer training
Purchased equipment for the computer lab including computers to be used by disabled.
Partnership with Duet Wireless
Project name: What’s up in Foley Community WebsiteIncrease exposure to the community’s events, information and opportunities
Non-profit organizations take advantage of many features through the website at no charge
LA Home CarePartnered with Cybermation
Project name: Smart Home Technologies – Grand Care•Enhanced ability for aging members of the community to live longer at home
•Activities of Daily Living monitoring Internet communications (Skype, email, etc)•Tele-Wellness supporting an entire network of caregivers •Ease of access to the internet for aging
and Great River Regional Library
Created a new City of Foley Interactive Website -Benefiting over 2,600 residents, this new website, and the services provides: online payments, auto pay, information about utilities, ordinances
and notices and more
Purchased of computers to provide public internet access and training – library hours for use by the public, free of charge
Foley and Sauk Rapids Rice Community Education
Will increase computer lab time for students and the community this fallOffering basic computer skills classes and classes through the U of M - at little to no charge to residents and businesses of Benton County Computer classes for learners to explore computers, Lego robotics, on-line classes and fun computer projects that are not in school curriculum
Country ManorProject name: Enriching LivesProviding iPads for use by tenants and residents
The iPads have helped tenants/residents learn about new technology. Several have set up gmail accounts
Enhance intergenerational learning – Sartell High School students in the LINC program will help teach seniors how to use the technology.
Foley High School FFA
• Creating a website for the school’s FFA organization The purpose of the website is to have students implement projects that interact with the local agricultural community and to develop a first year well water testing project within the rural community through the website.
• Purchase of quality GPS receiver and mapping software program for the initial first year project
Foley Public Schools
• Purchase and install wireless access routers within Foley Public Schools – these routers will be used by students, staff, Adult Basic Education participants, Community Education participants and other community residents as well as guests of the community.
Maywood Group & New Frontier Services
• Implement the Business Website Assistance Program with six Benton County businesses – the program has been designed to offer an additional service that eliminates the constraints and gets small and new businesses started with a website and company email address through a “DoIt4UWebsite” process.
MIRC Committee Projects
• Marketing Benton County as an Intelligent Community – www.BentonCountyConnected.org – New Logo– School Video– Posters
• WiFi in access throughout the community – Goal of 20 WiFi sites
• Roadside Marketing – Goal of 75 business claim their Google site.
MIRCStatewide Partners
U of M Extension
Business Training and Technical Assistance– Held 11 classes with a total of 93 in
attendance with 5 more planned through July– Foley Chamber of Commerce Lunch and
Learn with 55 people in attendance
•1 on 1 counseling
•U of M Project – Roadside Marketing – additional $1,500
DEED Digital Literacy
• Intro to computers
• 10 Modules
• Ran by 18 ABE’s statewide
• Offered 12 four day classes
• Ages 18 – 84
• Held throughout the region and at Independent Lifestyles and this week at the Foley Library
Minnesota Learning Commons
• U of M, MNSCU, DoE • Library of on-line courses• 4 modules (4 hours each)• Leads to career choice/train• Held 2 courses at the Workforce Center
– January 6 attended– June 10 attended – On-line only classes – Planning one for May
PC’s for People
• 27 computers– 15 to Independent
Lifestyles– 8 Heritage of Foley
senior – 2 to Good Shepherd– 2 to the city of Rice
• Collected over 30 last year– No plans at this time to
take more computers
Atomic Training• On-line tutorials on a multitude of
computer applications• 1000 Subscriptions • 91 Subscriptions
– PC’s for People computers– Independent Lifestyles– Foley Library – ABE at Foley and Sauk Rapids – Some businesses
• Open House and Training – October 13
MNREM
• Similar training to Extension for Businesses and their vendors in the Renewable Energy area
• Webinars provide alternative to in class hands on training
U of M Crookston
Project Evaluation
MIRCWhere do we go from
here?
What’s next?
• Robert Bells analysis of how Benton County did.
• Continue working with our new partners• Programs are sustainable • Create a strategic plan to include IC
concepts into our work
We will be following you!
• We can do a lot with broadband
• How do we get affordable broadband to everyone in our community