From:
http://www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/may_2008_press_release.doc
*HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND TASK FORCE*
*DEPT OF COMMERCE*
*85 E. 7TH PLACE, #500***
*ST PAUL**, MN 55101** 651-284-4213*
*LAWS OF MN 2008, CHAPTER 212*
Appointing: Governor
Compensation: None
Vacancies: One (1) Higher Educational Systems Representative;
One (1) K-12 Institutions or Consortia Representative;
One (1) Regional Public Libraries Representative;
One (1) Communications Workers of America Representative;
Two (2) Health Care Institutions Representatives β One Metro and One Rural;
Three (3) Telephone Companies Representatives β
One of whom represents telephone companies with 50,000 or
Fewer subscribers located outside the metro area;
Two (2) Cable Communications Systems Provider Representatives β
One Metro and One Rural;
One (1) Wireless Internet Service Provider Representative;
One (1) Minnesota Counties Representative;
Two (2) Minnesota Cities Representatives;
Four (4) Citizen At-Large Representatives β
Representing internet users, equally divided between business
and residential users in the metro and rural areas.
Report to the Governor and Legislature by November 1, 2009 on the level
of broadband service, including connection speeds for sending and
receiving data that is reasonably needed by all citizens by 2015;
policies and actions necessary to achieve the goal, including the
elimination of obstacles to investment and the identification of areas
in the state that currently lack infrastructure necessary to support
broadband service; opportunities for the public and private sectors to
cooperate to achieve the goal; strategies, financing methods, and
financial incentives used in other states and countires to support the
deployment of high speed broadband; security, vulnerability, and
redundancy actions necessary to ensure the reliability of high speed
broadband; costs of reaching the broadband goal, including capital
costs, and identification of who will bear those costs; economic
development opportunities made possible by the wide dissemination of
high-speed broadband; and how access to high-speed broadband can benefit
education institutions, healthcare institutions, community-based
organizations, and government institutions. Members include: One
representative of higher educational systems; one representative of K-12
institutions or consortia; one representative of regional public
libraries; one representative of the Communications Workers of America;
two representatives of of health care institutions, one metro, and one
rural; three representatives of telephone companies, one of whom
represents telephone companies with 50,000 or fewer subscribers located
outside the metro area; two representatives of cable communications
systems providers, one metro and one rural; one representative of
wireless internet service providers; one representative of Minnesota
counties; two representatives of Minnesota cities; four citizen at-large
members representing internet users, equally divided between business
and residential users in the metro and rural areas appointed by the
Governor. The commissioners of commerce, and employment and economic
development or their designees; Office of Enterprise Technology
designee. Two members of the Minnesota Senate, one DFL and one
Republican, one metro and one non-metro; and two members of the
Minnesota House of Representatives, one metro and one non-metro. The
Governor designates one of the citizen at-large members to serve as
chair of the Task Force. Meeting location and time to be determined.