The PF HYPER Blog: Twin Cities south metro looks at broadband

Photo of worker adjusting a wireless access point.

Worker adjusting the wireless access point outside my window.

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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Twin Cities south metro looks at broadband

Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports on south metro broadband efforts: What are south burbs doing about broadband Internet? (Sarah Lemagie).

Highlights...

There are currently no citywide broadband initiative, at least at the scale of St. Louis Park and Chaska.

Burnsvilles City Council has a goal to provide 50 to 100 Megabit/second access to every home and business and has told city staff to work with existing providers.

Frontier Communications will roll out wireless within two years to Burnsville. Frontier is working on similar agreements with Apple Valley, rosemount, Lakeville and Farmington. ( Pioneer Press has more on this.)

Both Dakota and Scott Counties have ongoing fiber-optic projects that will eventually link together. Looks like it's mainly for public buildings.

Minnesota suburbs are watching UTOPIA (Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency) where 14 Utah cities are providing low-cost fiber-optic access (100Mbps) to all their residents. Cost is an issue though, along with educating local officials.

Lack of a champion for the cause was part of the reason that Shakopee's telecommunications advisory committee recently decided not to continue its study of citywide broadband, said chairman Bill Anderson.

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