Overview of the Connect Minnesota Project

Committee on Energy, Utilities and TelecommunicationsSen. Julie A. Rosen, Chair

January 31, 2012

William Hoffman, IIIState Program Manager, Connect Minnesota

whoffman@connectmn.org

History & Mission

History:• Connect Minnesota is a state-based non-profit subsidiary of Connected Nation, a national 501(c)(3) organization. Our first work in Minnesota began in 2008, mapping state broadband availability.• Connect Minnesota was named the state’s “designated entity” for federal grant funding under NTIA’s “State Broadband Initiative” (SBI) grant program in 2009; Funding for the program will continue through December 2014. • All broadband availability data collected under the program is supplied to the FCC for inclusion on the National Broadband Map, and will be used as a means of reforming the way federal Universal Service Fund (USF) dollars are distributed.

Mission:• To support economic development across the state by assessing broadband availability, adoption, and utilization on an ongoing basis.• To educate and inform policy makers and stakeholders through our mapping, research and analysis.• To partner with public, private, and nonprofit stakeholders on efforts to expand broadband availability, adoption, and utilization.

Primary Program Components

• Data Collection & Mapping: Work with providers and the public to create, validate, and update granular statewide maps that accurately depict broadband availability on an ongoing basis, with updates available every six months

• Survey and Research: Conduct in-depth survey research and analysis on broadband adoption and utilization among Minnesota residences and businesses, with results benchmarked over time

• Planning: Provide support to the Minnesota Department of Commerce Office of Broadband Development and the Minnesota Broadband Task Force through detailed analyses of:

1) all collected availability and adoption data 2) broadband-related public policy developments

• Program Development: Establish partnerships at the local and state levels to promote and/or launch sustainable initiatives to impact broadband adoption and utilization, including digital literacy and computer ownership

Broadband Mapping

• Broadband availability maps are available at www.connectmn.org in a variety of formats and views:

• A fully interactive map, called “BroadbandStat”• Downloadable maps in PDF format at both the state and county levels

• The National Broadband Map, which is administered by the FCC and NTIA, located at www.broadbandmap.gov, utilizes data collected and submitted by Connect Minnesota.

• The information displayed on the National Broadband Map is approximately six months older than the data displayed on Connect Minnesota’s website.

• All maps are updated every six months through December 2014. The next update will occur in April 2012.

• Connected Nation’s Engineering and Research Divisions undertake an ongoing process of validating the coverage information reflected on the maps through:

• On-the-ground field validation of infrastructure• Survey research to “spot-check” availability• Public feedback via www.connectmn.org or maps@connectmn.org

BroadbandStat www.connectmn.org > Learn > Interactive Map

Key Functions/Features:•View “last mile” broadband availability by platform type•Identify broadband providers at a specific address or point•Analyze unserved areas using population and household density data by Census Block•View physical location and broadband connection information for the state’s “community anchor institutions” (CAIs)•Provide direct feedback to Connect Minnesota’s mapping and data collection teams, including screenshots•Draw and type on the map to highlight areas of interest•Print, e-mail, and bookmark customized views

Survey and Research:2011 Residential Broadband

Adoption Survey

Minnesota TechnologyAdoption Summary

Q: Do you have an Internet connection at home? and Q: Which of the following describe the type of Internet service you have at home? (n=1,200 MN residents)

Percent of all Minnesota residents

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

Q: Which of the following describe the type of Internet service you have at home? (n=1,200 MN residents)

Percent of all Minnesota residents with broadband service at home

Statewide, 72% of Minnesotans (nearly 2.9 million Minnesota

adults) subscribe to home broadband service.

*Source: Federal Communications Commission, Broadband Adoption and Use in America, 2010.

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

National surveys indicate that 67% of American households subscribe to home broadband

service.*

Minnesota Residents Who Subscribe to Home Broadband Service

Percent of Minnesota residents with no home broadband service

Q: Which one of these is the main reason why you do not subscribe to home Internet service? andQ: Which one of these is the main reason why you do not subscribe to home broadband service? (n=1,900 MN residents without home broadband service)

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

Main Barriers to Broadband Adoption

Awareness of broadband availability among rural Minnesota residents

Q: To the best of your knowledge, is broadband or high-speed Internet service available in the area where you live?(n=399 rural MN residents)

In rural Minnesota, 5% of adults report that

broadband service is not available where they live,

and 9% do not know whether broadband service is available

where they live.

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

According to Connect Minnesota’s April 2011

provider-validated Broadband Service

Inventory, 6.7% of rural households do not have

terrestrial fixed broadband access.

Perceptions of Broadband Availability Among Rural Minnesota Residents

Annual household income

Q: Does your household have a computer? andWhich of the following describe the type of Internet service you have at home? (n=1,200 MN residents)

Technology Adoption by Income

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

*Low-income=annual household income less than $25,000Q: Does your household have a computer? andQ: Which of the following describe the type of Internet service you have at home? (n=1,200 MN residents)

Source: 2011 Connect Minnesota®

Residential Technology Assessmentwww.connectmn.org

Technology Adoption by Demographics

On the web: www.connectmn.org

Questions