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Redwood Falls, Minn. —
Redwood County’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) opted to move forward with a broadband feasibility study that would determine just what the county would need to do in order to get fiber to every premises.
Known as fiber to the premise (FTTP), the concept is part of an effort to meet state and federal broadband goals to have high-speed service available to all portions of the country.
The study, which is being conducted by the Blandin Foundation through what is known as the Robust Broad-band Networks Feasi-bility Grant Program.
The grant, which includes up to $40,000 for the county as it addresses the needs of every community and farm site from one end of the county to the other, requires matching funds, which are available through the county EDA.
According to Julie Rath of the Redwood Area Development Corporation, the hope is also to get local network providers to invest in the program, too, adding broadband meetings already conducted in the county have been well attended by representatives of those providers.
So, is the FTTP concept realistic?
A meeting held Monday night helped to answer many of those questions, as representatives from Lac qui Parle and Sibley counties spoke about the progress they have made toward FTTP in their locations.
Pam Lehmann, who works with economic development in Lac qui Parle County, shared how the county of about 7,000 is moving ahead with the project and is scheduled to move forward with FTTP very soon, as it has received a $9 million grant to bring fiber to every home and business in the county.
Lehmann said the county made the investment to do the same study Redwood County is going to conduct, and even though it did not receive much support from its service providers, the county saw the value and moved ahead.
As a result of the investment Lac qui Parle, one of the smallest counties in terms of population, is going to be one of the leading counties in Minnesota when its comes to broadband access for everyone.
Mark Erickson is working on a similar project in Sibley County, with the easternmost portion of Renville County added in as it is part of the GFW school district.
Fiber, said Erickson, is the future, because it provides a much more viable alternative than even wireless can in the long-term.
He said the investment of fiber can provide broadband access not only for today but well into the future as the fiber added today would not even closely reach its capacity potential. Erickson compared today’s broadband service with the idea of fiber to farming with horses versus the latest four-wheel drive tractor. Yes, he said, it can get the job done, but it just takes a lot longer.
Erickson said the investment has been made, and the commitment from the people is steadily coming in. More than 2,000 people have expressed an interest in having fiber available in the county, and Erickson said they need about 3,000 initial commitments of interest to move forward.
Gov. Mary Dayton recently launched a task force to expand broadband service statewide, pointing out the problematic issues which exist especially in the most rural areas of the state.
Erickson said he believes schools, seniors and producers are going to see tremendous benefit from the implementation of FTTP in his county, adding he thinks the concept is a no brainer.
The county is looking to the future in hopes to create an equal playing field by increasing broadband capacity.
Redwood County’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) opted to move forward with a broadband feasibility study that would determine just what the county would need to do in order to get fiber to every premises.
Known as fiber to the premise (FTTP), the concept is part of an effort to meet state and federal broadband goals to have high-speed service available to all portions of the country.
The study, which is being conducted by the Blandin Foundation through what is known as the Robust Broad-band Networks Feasi-bility Grant Program.
The grant, which includes up to $40,000 for the county as it addresses the needs of every community and farm site from one end of the county to the other, requires matching funds, which are available through the county EDA.
According to Julie Rath of the Redwood Area Development Corporation, the hope is also to get local network providers to invest in the program, too, adding broadband meetings already conducted in the county have been well attended by representatives of those providers.
So, is the FTTP concept realistic?
A meeting held Monday night helped to answer many of those questions, as representatives from Lac qui Parle and Sibley counties spoke about the progress they have made toward FTTP in their locations.
Pam Lehmann, who works with economic development in Lac qui Parle County, shared how the county of about 7,000 is moving ahead with the project and is scheduled to move forward with FTTP very soon, as it has received a $9 million grant to bring fiber to every home and business in the county.
Lehmann said the county made the investment to do the same study Redwood County is going to conduct, and even though it did not receive much support from its service providers, the county saw the value and moved ahead.
As a result of the investment Lac qui Parle, one of the smallest counties in terms of population, is going to be one of the leading counties in Minnesota when its comes to broadband access for everyone.
Mark Erickson is working on a similar project in Sibley County, with the easternmost portion of Renville County added in as it is part of the GFW school district.
Fiber, said Erickson, is the future, because it provides a much more viable alternative than even wireless can in the long-term.
He said the investment of fiber can provide broadband access not only for today but well into the future as the fiber added today would not even closely reach its capacity potential. Erickson compared today’s broadband service with the idea of fiber to farming with horses versus the latest four-wheel drive tractor. Yes, he said, it can get the job done, but it just takes a lot longer.
Erickson said the investment has been made, and the commitment from the people is steadily coming in. More than 2,000 people have expressed an interest in having fiber available in the county, and Erickson said they need about 3,000 initial commitments of interest to move forward.
Gov. Mary Dayton recently launched a task force to expand broadband service statewide, pointing out the problematic issues which exist especially in the most rural areas of the state.
Erickson said he believes schools, seniors and producers are going to see tremendous benefit from the implementation of FTTP in his county, adding he thinks the concept is a no brainer.
The county is looking to the future in hopes to create an equal playing field by increasing broadband capacity.
