The NEED for SPEED The pandemic proved it: Rural areas badly need broadband. So how can they get it? By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn
When the pandemic hit, Alise Sjostrom found out how crucial a strong and steady internet connection can be.
“ It causes a lot of frustration amongst employees when they’re trying to get work done efficiently. The internet drops, and then 10 minutes later you can do something or finish the task you were doing.” — Alise Sjostrom, co-owner, Redhead Creamery
40 Initiative Foundation ifound.org
Sjostrom is co-owner and founder of Redhead Creamery, an artisanal cheese business she runs on her family’s dairy farm north of Brooten. Before 2020, she had sold much of her cheddar, brie and whiskeywashed munster to restaurants and through a distributor and specialty grocers, as well as her own on-farm store. The lockdown disrupted many of her wholesale sales channels. In response, Redhead pushed its sales online, setting up door-to-door delivery service via e-commerce. “We used Facebook a lot with its advertising options,” Sjostrom said. “It worked for us.” Just one problem: She’s had to fulfill those orders via an often sluggish internet connection. “The internet drops, and then 10 minutes later you can do something or finish the task you were doing,” said Sjostrom, whose team experiences frequent interruptions. “It can be extremely frustrating to get work done. You can feel kind of paralyzed.” Like most residents and business owners in the more rural parts of Minnesota, Sjostrom would like access to
robust, high-speed broadband. Just over half of Minnesota’s rural communities have access to internet service that meets the state’s minimum standard—download speeds of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 3 Mbps. The statewide figure rises to 70 percent when the Twin Cities metropolitan area is included. During the past couple years—spurred by COVID-19—people who didn’t fully grasp the meaning of broadband now realize how essential it is to their personal well-being, and to that of their community. But what about areas without broadband access? Experts advise: Get to work, or get left behind. Why the Need for Speed? Nearly everyone has internet connectivity of some kind. But what makes that connectivity truly beneficial is speed. This is where those megabits per second become critical. “Why do we need broadband? Because people without it are not able to participate in society,” said Bernadine Joselyn, director of public policy and engagement for the Blandin Foundation. “It’s not just about gaming and Netflix,” she said. “It’s about opportunity.”
