Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced today that his administration endorses the vision and principles for universal deployment and use of high-speed next generation broadband proposed by a diverse group of telecommunications industry, business, government and rural community leaders.

"Minnesota is committed to encouraging the necessary investment to become a world leader in the universal deployment and use of high-speed next generation broadband," Governor Pawlenty said.  "Broadband is as important to economic development today as electricity was at the turn of the 20th century - vital to our quality of life and essential for business, government and our communities."

The broadband principles include universal availability; symmetric speeds to facilitate source-to-source communications; affordability; competition among service providers to increase customer choice and promote innovation; technology platform neutrality; and interoperability.

The Governor's announcement came at the request of the 18-member Broadband Initiative Strategy Board that includes six telecommunications industry CEOs, representatives from local government, business, and several rural communities. The initiative, orchestrated by Blandin Foundation, is designed to catalyze broadband investment and use, raise awareness about the value of broadband and encourage public and private investment in rural broadband capacity.

"The vision and these principles represent a consensus that was developed to reflect the shared interests of communities, industry, state and local government, health-care institutions, and public education," Governor Pawlenty said.

The Governor underscored the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to bring the benefits of broadband to all Minnesotans especially in areas that currently lag behind. He cited the recent example of Consolidated Telecommunications Company, based in Brainerd that recently worked with the local school district to install a world class fiber optic network available to all homes and businesses in Brainerd.

He also cited the value of community broadband education programs like Blandin Foundation's Get Broadband program, now active in 20 rural communities across the state. In each community, teams are showing their businesses, health care facilities, schools, governmental agencies and residents the benefits of new applications and services available via broadband telecommunications.  The goal is to bring home the benefits of broadband to rural residents and businesses.  

With the recent addition of state funding, the Foundation expects to add up to 15 communities to the program in 2006. 

While these community-based market development efforts are essential, they are only part of the picture, according to the Governor, who said that "upgrading our broadband infrastructure to match that of Pacific Rim nations and other global leaders is going to require a major commitment, creative thinking, and leadership, especially leadership and vision to assure universal deployment and use." 

The United States lags behind other nations in broadband utilization, according to a study issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which reports that the U.S. dropped to 12th worldwide. In rural Minnesota residential utilization rates - at 27 percent - are about half the metropolitan area of 44 percent, according to a recent study conducted by the Center for Policy and Development in Saint Peter, MN. 

In November 2005, the Governor addressed Blandin's broadband conference via a live video link from Hong Kong during his trade mission to China at which time he applauded the efforts of more than 130 participants from over 50 rural communities, who attended the conference co-sponsored by the Association of Minnesota Counties, Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association, Iron Range Resources, Minnesota Rural Partners, and League of Minnesota Cities.
 
From Hong Kong, the Governor told the conference participants via an internet-based video conferencing connection, "Real time high speed big capacity broadband is just one of those basic critical components that all of Minnesota and of the US is going to have just to be competitive." 
 
Today's endorsement of the broadband vision and principles reinforces that message, according to strategy board member Gary Evans, CEO and President of Hiawatha Broadband Communications, a data, voice and video service provider located in Winona MN.  "The Governor's endorsement of the Strategy Board's Vision and Principles will be a great help in propelling this issue forward and improving our state's economy," Evans said.