HF 2959

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to telecommunications; requiring the commissioner of commerce to
contract for a statewide inventory of broadband service; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin BROADBAND MAPPING PROJECT.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Project. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of commerce shall contract with a
nonprofit organization that has significant experience working with broadband providers
to develop Geographical Information System maps displaying levels of broadband
service by connection speed and type of technology used and integrating the maps with
demographic information to produce a comprehensive statewide inventory and mapping
of existing broadband service and capability.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Mapping. new text end

new text begin Data must be collected from broadband providers and entered
into a geographic information system to produce maps that, for the state of Minnesota and
any defined geographical entity within it, clearly convey the following information:
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new text begin (1) areas unserved by any broadband provider;
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new text begin (2) areas served by a single broadband provider;
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new text begin (3) the location of towers used to transmit and receive broadband signals;
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new text begin (4) actual upstream and downstream transmission speeds at the county level of detail;
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new text begin (5) areas served by multiple broadband providers; and
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new text begin (6) the types of technology used to provide broadband service.
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new text begin The data used to produce the maps must be capable of being integrated with demographic
data from other sources including, but not limited to, population density and household
income to allow for the production of maps that measure, down to the census block
level of detail, various characteristics of residents in areas receiving different levels of
broadband services and utilizing different technologies. Data provided by a broadband
provider to the contractor under this subdivision is nonpublic data under Minnesota
Statutes, section 13.02, subdivision 9. Maps produced under this subdivision are public
data under Minnesota Statutes, section 13.03.
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new text begin For the purposes of this section, "technology" or "technologies" means different
methods of connecting to the Internet including, but not limited to, cable modem, DSL,
ADSL, VDSL, and fiber optics.
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 237.701, subdivision 1, $175,000 is
appropriated from the telephone assistance fund to the commissioner of commerce for
the purposes of section 1.
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new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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