Minnesota may create an office of broadband development. Six legislators...

The broadband office would help oversee effective management and deployment of broadband infrastructure, including efforts with the “dig once” initiative, which makes use of the 811 number to coordinate companies’ construction efforts. “The Office of Broadband Development shall conduct research and produce a report recommending a set of programs and strategies the state can pursue to promote the improvement, more efficient and effective use, and expansion of broadband services in ways that will have the greatest impact on the state’s economic development, by which is meant enhancing the ability of Minnesota citizens and businesses to develop their skills, to expand businesses to new markets, develop new products, reach more customers, and lower costs,” according to the bill, noting the office’s report “must consider broadband as an economic development tool.” The office would have to submit its first report to the Legislature by Jan. 15, the bill said. Minnesota’s Blandin Foundation consultant Ann Treacy suspects the bill will be “one big topic” at Thursday’s Telecommunications and Information Society Policy Forum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, she wrote on the foundation’s blog Thursday (http://bit.ly/10m7mjX). Minnesota has actively focused on fostering broadband deployment, instituting a statutory goal as well as creating a broadband task force (CD Dec 13 p15).