Community Broadband: Making the Right Choice: Blandin Broadband Conference 2007

Pre-Conference Sesquicentennial Session
Oil lamps to Lasers…Creating Minnesota’s Broadband Future

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Please join us for a unique opportunity to set a course for the future. As part of the Minnesota Sesquicentennial celebration, the Sesquicentennial commission is sponsoring conversations on Minnesota’s future. The Blandin Foundation has joined the Sesquicentennial in supporting a conversation on Minnesota’s Broadband Future.

Pre-Conference Agenda November 7 1-4:00 PM

1 – 1:30 PM

Introduction by Sesquicentennial Directory, Jane Leonard

Situational Analysis Global Trends: FTTH, 50 – 100 Mbps, sophisticated wireless devices.
Dave Russell; Marketing Director, Calix and Jim Farstad; rClient..

David Russell of Calix and Jim Farstad of rClient will provide attendees with a quick update of the new technologies and deployment strategies that are shaping the technology world. Dave Russell will cover the wired world covering wired infrastructures – their capabilities and limitations – that includes Fiber to the Home, Fiber to the Node, DOCSIS 3,0 and other innovations. Jim Farstad will focus on wireless technologies, including wi-fi, wi-max and cellular wireless. It will be a great start to the afternoon.

1:30 – 2:20 PM

Panel Discussion – Tough Questions:

Panelists:JoAnne Johnson; Frontier Communications,Al Juhnke, State Representative 13-B, Danna Asche; IT Director, Cook County, Jeff Lueders, City of Lakeville , Ruthe Batulis; Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Dan Pecarina, Vice President of Technology, Hiawatha Broadband
Moderator: Mike O’Connor; President, O’Connor Company

Tough Questions Panel Discussion: Brave panel participants will answer questions for policy makers need answers. A panel of providers, community advocates and a leading legislative leader provide the answers.

2:30 – 4 PM
Group Exercise: 90 minutes total

Develop a Broadband plan for your community. Using the asset list given to you, collaborate with your group to leverage assets to get to 100 points. At the end of 40 minutes your team will be asked to report your results back to the group. In your report, tell us why your group made the choices you did.

Exercise Description
A list of assets controlled by a sector is handed out to each group; each asset has an assigned value. Each asset has a negative impact value on another sector. The teams will collaborate to leverage their assets to get 100 points. Assets would include things like private sector assets (fiber, network management, capital), public sector assets (fiber, towers, ROW, service contracts), political clout (lobbying, contributions tax or financial incentives). Participants will have to give and take to reach 100 points.

At the end of 40 minutes, teams will present their solution. The team with the most creative solution wins a prize.