10a. Original IAC CharterScandia’s Internet Action Committee
Purpose:
To work with approved Internet Service Providers, to develop and implement a plan, with City Council
approval, that would make reliable, cost-effective, high-speed internet available to every premise in
Scandia.
Goals:
1. Every home and business owner in Scandia will have access to reliable broadband services
capable of achieving speeds of 100mbsp/20mbsp up at a minimum.
2. To minimize impacts Scandia’s taxpayers as it relates to expanding services.
3. Complete an internet expansion plan by June 2020.
4. To provide oversight of the expansion of broadband services until service goals are achieved.
5. To facilitate the expansion of broadband to approximately 200 premises a year, completing the
expansion by 2024 (5 years).
Tasks:
1. Develop and document a plan to make reliable, high-speed broadband service available to every
home and business in Scandia that wants it.
The plan should be updated and reviewed with the Council annually and include the following
written documentation: Description of project phases and timelines:
a) Financial Impact of each phase including: capital investment cost shares, any operational
investment cost shares, and description of subscription services offered.
b) Contractual business relationship between the Service Providers and the City of Scandia.
c) Evaluation of funding sources leveraged including Partnerships, and grants from County, State
and Federal sources.
2. Review the Phase 1 expansion proposal and identify opportunities and funding methods to expand
wired services to homes and businesses in close proximity to the proposed expanded territory.
3. Identify home businesses interested in reliable, high-speed broadband service to target them for
expansion at the earliest opportunity.
4. Identify schoolchildren’s homes that need high-speed Internet to complete homework and make
them a priority.
5. Minimize the use of property taxes to expand reliable, high-speed broadband service. Plan and
operate within the City’s General Fund annual budget.
6. Spend as much “other people’s money” as possible. Grants from DEED, FCC Rural Digital
Opportunities Fund. Search for other funding.
7. Work with MN Office of Broadband Development to accurately map all unserved (wired 25 megabits
down, 3 megabits up) homes and underserved (wired 100 megabits down, 20 megabits up) homes
and businesses.
8. Post accurate, up-to-date city map in Scandia Community Center and on the City website to inform
the public of City’s progress with reliable, high-speed broadband service expansion.
9. Review Midco’s franchise agreement for opportunities to leverage funds for expanding Midco
service to more homes and businesses ($14,000 projected in 2019).
10. Review Frontier franchise agreement with the City to determine opportunities for other providers to
use their fiber pathways to help our expansion efforts.
11. Explore expanding Midco’s fixed wireless footprint by helping Midco to find or build more towers.
12. Explore expanding fixed wireless service by creating Home Owners Associations similar to Cedar Cliff
to reach remote homes in Scandia.
13. Explore new innovative technologies to reach remote homes and businesses in Scandia.
14. Repurpose a portion of the Scandia Community Center to serve as an Internet Café for use by the
Scandia public until every home and business in Scandia that wants it has reliable, high-speed
broadband service.
15. Design and deliver education seminars 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.
16. At least one committee member should attend an annual conference, which the committee votes as
necessary, to interact with other community leaders and keep abreast of the state of broadband in
Minnesota.
Voting Committee Members:
1. Experienced, professional, senior communications engineer
2. Experienced, licensed contracts and business attorney
3. Experienced, software architect and technology educator
4. Small business owner without reliable, high-speed broadband service
5. Parent with school-age children without reliable, high-speed broadband service
Non-Voting Members:
1. MidCo representative
2. City Administrator
3. City Council Member Liaison