9.h.1 Internet Action CommitteeInternet Action Committee
Actions
1. Find and develop a solution for every home and business in Scandia that wants reliable,
high-speed broadband service.
2. Refuse to raise property taxes to develop reliable, high-speed broadband service. Plan
and operate within the City’s General Fund annual budget.
3. Spend as much “other people’s money” as possible. Grants from DEED, FCC Rural Digital
Opportunities Fund. Search for other funding.
4. Identify all unserved (wired 25 megabits down, 3 megabits up) homes and underserved
(wired 100 megabits down, 20 megabits up) homes and businesses to share with DEED
for future grants.
5. Review Midco’s franchise agreement for possible leverage of funds to expand Midco
service to more homes and businesses. ($14,000 projected in 2019)
6. Expand Midco’s fixed wireless footprint by helping Midco to find or build more towers.
7. Expand fixed wireless service by creating Home Owners Associations similar to Cedar
Cliff to reach remote homes in Scandia.
8. Experiment with new innovative technologies like MIT’s Super Towers to reach remote
homes and businesses in Scandia.
9. Post accurate, up-to-date city map in Scandia Community Center and online to inform
public of City’s progress with reliable, high-speed broadband service expansion.
10. Repurpose a portion of the Scandia Community Center to serve as an Internet Café for
use by the Scandia public until every homes and business in Scandia that wants it has
reliable, high-speed broadband service.
11. Design and Deliver education seminar for existing Scandia Frontier customers to
maximize the reliability and speed of their Internet service.
12. Design and Deliver education seminar for all Scandia broadband users to maximize the
reliability, performance, and security of their broadband service, especially within the
four walls of the household or business.
13. Identify homes and businesses close to Midco fiber to add fixed wired service in Phase I
of broadband expansion.
14. Identify home businesses interested in reliable, high-speed broadband service to target
them for expansion at the earliest opportunity.
15. Identify school children’s homes that need high-speed Internet to complete homework
and make them a priority.
16. Review Frontier franchise agreement with the City. Is there a way to use the fiber they
have laid to help expand our project?
17. Develop a contingency plan in case the City is not awarded the 2020 DEED grant.
Voting Committee Members
1. Experienced, professional, senior communications engineer.
2. Experienced, licensed contracts and business attorney.
3. Experienced, licensed real estate and administrative law attorney.
4. Experienced, software architect and technology educator.
5. Small business owner with Scandia home business without reliable, high-speed
broadband service.
6. Parent with school-age children without reliable, high-speed broadband service.
Non-Voting Members
1. City Council Member Liaison
Thank you,
Patti Ray