2. âą Input from:
â Blandin Broadband Strategy Board
â Key stakeholders
â Our community experience
âą Key considerations
â Need to eliminate digital divide that threatens equal
opportunity
â Federal policies and programs like ARRA make a
difference
â Partnerships are key to success
â Broadband infrastructure is not enough; investments
in people, education and training are essential
3. Overarching Themes
âą Enable, encourage and engage in
collaboration
âą Support and spur rural broadband
cooperatives
âą Continue efforts to spur adoption and
increase sophistication of use
4. Senator Klobuchar
âą Encourage investment and adoption by:
â Strengthen existing programs
âą BTOP
âą USDA RUS
â Improve coordination with states
âą Partner with state funds like DEED OBD
âą Mapping
â Advance public private partnerships
âą Dig once
âą FirstNet
â Modern infrastructure
âą Wireless spectrum
âą Wireless deployment
5. Office of Broadband Development
âą One-stop federal broadband website
âą Federal support of broadband mapping
âą More flexible federal broadband finance programs
âą Close strategic coordination with state broadband initiatives
â Investment
â Permitting
â Bridge construction/ROW
â Housing
â Labor standards
â State inclusion on federal working groups
âą USF
â E-rate
â Lifeline
â Health and education
âą Digital inclusion
â Libraries
â Veterans
â Early education