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Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division

TWELEVETH MEETING

2007-2008 Regular Session - Wednesday, October 17, 2007

STATE OF MINNESOTA TWELEVETH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION



TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE DIVISION
OF THE
COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE

MINUTES



Representative Sheldon Johnson, Chair of the Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division, called the tweleveth meeting to order at 4:05 pm on October 17, 2007, in Eagan, Minnesota City Hall; 3830 Pilot Knob Road; Eagan, MN. This division meeting is held during the interim and no official actions were taken.

The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.

Members present:


Johnson, Sheldon, Chair
Masin, Sandra, Vice-Chair
Beard, Michael
Garofalo, Pat
Juhnke, Al
Sailer, Brita
Shimanski, Ron

Members excused:
Hilty, Bill
Hoppe, Joe
Morrow, Terry
Thissen, Paul

Representative Johnson called the meeting to order at 4:05 pm. At 4:50 a quorum was present.


Representative Johnson welcomed everyone to the committee. Introductions were made by everyone at the table Representative Shelley Madore and Senator Jim Carlson joined the committee as guests.


Honorable Mayor Mike Maguire, Eagan gave opening remarks regarding the City of Eagan and the importance of broadband and the cities role in providing service. Attached is a copy of Mayor Mike Maguire's remarks.


Rick King, executive vice president and Chief Operating Officer of Thomson North American Legal, gave an overview to division member. Thomson North employs 7,000 people - global tech based business that relies on technology to operate. They have a 10-gigabyte internal network at West. 250 megabytes is currently a standard in the USA and is 7 times slower than Japan. Canada, Finland, Sweden are all ahead of USA. They suggest that the state should have broadband policy and be a leader, and look to job growth, recruiting and keeping business in the state are all measured by the availability of broadband. Government should play a role in innovation.


Deployment of 1 Gigabyte service--Industry and Business perspectives


Doctor Tim Lance, PhD; President and CEO of the New York State Education and Research Network (NYSERNet). Dr. Lance gave an overview and power point of the New York state education and research network. They are not a state agency. A handout "Reflections on Broadband" was given to division members. As a state Minnesota should commit to making a broadband policy.


Tom Salonek, CEO, Intertech, and Eagan, MN company with 35 employees. He gave division members and overview of what his company application needs are.


Mac Lewis, Sherpa Partners, Minneapolis, gave an overview to division members of there broadband needs. A handout a "Broadband Position Statement from MHTA" was given to division members.


Tamara Rath, Director of infrastructure and network communications, Northwest Airlines. Gave an overview to division members of employer prospective, consumer prospective and community prospective for increased bandwidth. They feel the state of Minnesota should adopt a policy


Government role in broadband deployment--State, Local and Industry perspectives


Shirley Walz, a Hastings, MN resident and part of the "Giggroup". Ms. Walz gave an overview of the GIG group. A handout was given to division members, "Category of Legislation". (Blue folder) See internet site www.giggroup.org.


JoAnne Johnson, Central Region Government Affairs Manager, Frontier Communications. Gave division members an overview of Frontier communications and suggested that tax credits and grants are feasible ways to bring Gigabyte capability to everyone. They also favor the Connect KY model of state involvement. Additional information will be given to division members.


Drew Gorton, Eagan business owner, Web company - web site creator, asked division members to please set up state policy.


David Asp, Fiber Administrator, Dakota County - gave an overview of Fiber capability of Dakota county and gave to division members a map “Twin Cities Regional Broadband Institutional Network (I-Net). They are currently mapping all of MN fiber what is in place and where.


Jeff O'Neill, City Administrator, Monticello, Minnesota spoke to division members of how they are going about connecting all homes and businesses to fiber and the outcome of the city election to put in broadband.


Myron White, Red Wing Port Authority Director, Red Wing, asked the state to take a stand to allow a tax option of relief to be applied to broadband installation.



Andrea Casselton, City of Saint Paul, is there is a role that state and city should take in a broadband policy just as they would in any infrastructure. Gave division members an overview of City policy and what should be government role. www.stpaul.gov For report of the Broadband task force. Attached is a copy of Ms. Casselton's remarks


Mark Erickson, Hiawatha Broadband, Winona, Minnesota, they believe there is a role for government to play and to establish a statewide policy. They want a partnership with private industry and tax credit and to show vision and stop the decline of small towns.


Mark Oberlander, telecommunications manager, Public Utilities Commission, a handout was given to division members “Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Telecommunications Goals As Established in Minnesota Statutes Chapter 237". Mr. Oberlander spoke of just and reasonable rates and available to all state and fair and reasonable providers.


David Matenaer, multimedia testimony, St Paul, MN will submit as part of the record and sent to division members.


Charles Ganzhorn, CISCO systems and Eagan resident addressed the need for a state policy.


Drew Gorton, Eagan business owner, Web company - web site creator, please set up state policy.


The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 pm.



REP. SHELDON JOHNSON, CHAIR



Mary Elizabeth Faust
Committee Legislative Assistant
More Info On This Meeting..

Deployment of 1 Gigabyte service — industry and business perspectives
Government role in broadband deployment — state, local and Industry perspectives
Those interested in testifying should contact Committee Administrator Elizabeth Emerson at elizabeth.emerson@house.mn or 651-296-7175.