Is the BBC Program Right for You?

Is the BBC Program Right for You?

• 1.
  IS THE BLANDINBROADBAND COMMUNITIES (BBC) PROGRAM RIGHT FOR YOU? Welcome to today’s Blandin Community Broadband Program Webinar WITH MARY MAGNUSON AND BILL COLEMAN
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  Bill Coleman Community TechnologyAdvisors Mary Magnuson Blandin Foundation
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  Broadband is fundamentalto every issue Blandin Foundation cares about. The effort to ensure universal access to high-speed Internet among all Minnesotans is critical to ensuring that equal opportunity be available for all. ~ Bernadine Joselyn
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  BLANDIN FOUNDATION COMMITS $450,000PER YEAR FOR BROADBAND GRANTS THROUGH 2020 The Blandin Community Broadband Program
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  Primary Elements ofBCBP • Working with select “communities” – New Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC) – Iron Range Broadband Communities (IRBC) • Partnership with MN Dept. of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation • Work with six Iron Range communities ends July 2018 • Future work on Iron Range through IRRR in planning • Statewide Rural Grant Opportunity – Robust Network Feasibility Fund grants • Community Broadband Resources • Conferences, webinars and communications • Public Policy
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  Blandin Broadband Communities (BBC)program 2018-20
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  What is aBBC? • A community… – A city, county, school district, region, tribal entity, or community of interest – Committed to partner with Blandin Foundation over a two year period – With a cross-sector team in place including representatives from education, economic development, healthcare, business and other parts of the community – With a goal to increase access and use of broadband to create a more vibrant community
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  BBC Cool Outcomes •26 BBCs in three cohorts have received grants totaling $2,372,320 for 219 projects • 50 computers distributed to low-income families in all 26 communities • Created momentum leading to DEED Border to Border Broadband Grants • Youth attending application creation camps • Small business tech assessments, consulting and training • Improved public access via Wi-Fi hot spots • Senior citizen / high school senior tech training • Enhanced cross-sector community collaboration
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  Selecting New BlandinBroadband Communities
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  Organizing Construct: The IntelligentCommunity Framework
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  Process • Application – Applicantmust be a 501(c)3 nonprofit or unit of government, and will serve as fiscal agent for grants • Organizing • Planning Two rounds of: • Project funding • Project development • Project implementation
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  Blandin Foundation provides… •Ongoing coaching and support • Planning facilitation • Access to project funding pool via at least two funding rounds (approximately $75,000 per community) • 50 refurbished computers through PCs for People • BBC peer events (four over two years)
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  Application and Selection Timelines DateActivity March 6, 2018 Application Instructions released May 31, 2018 Applications due June 28, 2018 BBC selection is completed and communities notified August 2018 Kick-off meeting with four communities August 2018 Community benchmarking September 2018 Community planning commences September/October 2018 Project grant application/approval Subsequent grant rounds on quarterly basis in 2019 October 23-24, 2018 Border to Border Broadband Conference Madden’s on Gull Lake, Brainerd March 2019? Strut Your Stuff Tour I Semi annual SYS tours through the end of the project period July 2019 Review/update community plans Nov/Dec 2019 Project Evaluation
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  ROBUST NETWORK FEASIBILITY FUNDGRANT PROGRAM
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  Robust Network FeasibilityFund grant • To study feasibility of development of new advanced networks – Market – Engineering – Operations – Financial • Up to $25,000 • 1 : 1 match required
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  Community Broadband Resources •Up to 32 hours of technical assistance to assist your community move forward on broadband from “where you are” to “where you want to be” • Examples include: – Community surveys – Provider inventories – Community meeting facilitation – Community broadband planning – Community/provider discussion facilitation • CBR leads to “next steps” such as BBC participation, a feasibility study or DEED B2B grant application • Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
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  Conferences, webinars and communications •Conferences – Border to Border Broadband Conference at Madden’s October 23-24 • Webinar Series – Ad hoc schedule – Requests welcome! • Communications – Monthly e-news – Blandin on Broadband blog
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  For more information,visit broadband.blandinfoundation.org Blandin Broadband Communities Robust Network Feasibility Fund Community Broadband Resources
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  QUESTIONS?