Broadband Task Force

Meeting Materials | About the Task Force

Chair: Rich Sve (Lake)
Vice Chair:
AMC Policy Analyst: Emily Murray

The Broadband Task Force began in 2014 because AMC supports identifying and implementing actions to achieve the goal of statewide deployment of advanced broadband networks and symmetrical high-speed capacity by the year 2020.  This subcommittee discusses broadband issues in-depth and then makes recommendations to the larger Transportation & Infrastructure Policy Committee because the association supports initiatives that make it easier for counties, cities, municipal utilities, schools, libraries, and other public sector entities to collaborate and deploy broadband infrastructure and services at the local and regional level.

Purpose: To advise the policy committees and/or board of directors on broadband issues.

Responsibilities:

  1. Identify broadband development needs and concerns as they relate to counties and county government. 
  2. Identify, review and provide analysis of current state and federal broadband policies and resources.
  3. Develop and recommend state and federal broadband policies for inclusion in the AMC Platform to the appropriate policy committee or the AMC Board of Directors.

Membership: Open to any interested AMC member.

Meetings: Meets in person at the Legislative Conference, Policy Conference, and Annual Conference (no reimbursement for travel or per diem). All other meetings by phone and/or Go-To-Meeting as needed.

MEETING MATERIALS:
December 3, 2017 | AMC Annual Conference, St. Cloud
Agenda | Minutes

September 14, 2017 | AMC Fall Policy Conference, Breezy Point
Agenda | Minutes

December 4, 2016 | AMC Annual Conference, Minneapolis
Agenda | Minutes

September 15, 2016 | AMC Fall Policy Conference, Alexandria
Agenda | Minutes

December 6, 2015 - AMC Annual Conference, St. Cloud
Agenda | Minutes

September 17, 2015 - Breezy Point
Agenda | Minutes

March 4, 2015 - Joint Legislative Conference, St. Paul
Agenda | Minutes

Resources:

  • The Community Broadband Assessment Tool   can help local leaders investigate, consider, understand and discuss the   state of the community’s broadband infrastructure and services. This tool   incorporates measures of broadband speed, ubiquity, competition, redundancy   and partnership.  In many areas, community broadband consideration has   moved beyond the city limits to the community’s market area or to individual   townships, the entire county or tribal reservation.  This tool allows   analysis at any geography, recognizing that larger geographies are likely to   have wide variations in broadband availability.

This tool has two primary   purposes:

    1. To let communities get   a feel for where they stand with regard to their broadband infrastructure   and services; and
    2. To provide a   tool that will allow us to aggregate this data for use in our messaging   efforts at the Capitol.

It is recommended that you print a copy of the assessmentfor use as a   worksheet prior to completing the assessment online.  The tool has three   sections:  “in-town”, “rural countryside” and “provider partnerships.”   You can print the assessment out from this page to review, gather data and   discuss, then complete the assessment online. The tool is flexible for people   to use as they desire.  Increasingly, we are seeing broadband   initiatives being organized at the county level, but also see activity at the   city or township level.    This tool can be completed by cities,   counties, or townships. Multiple assessments could be completed within one   county, independently of each other or collaboratively.  

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