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<br /> •INTERNET FROM D1 are enough of a challenge,"
<br /> -- -f-- - -- -- --- HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT King said. "If the people on
<br /> access to broadband,but King either side are unhappy,then
<br /> -r said there are "arguments Some recommendations of the Ultra High Speed Broad- the task force report must be
<br /> r about the methodology that band Task Force: in the right place."
<br /> was used:' (Fewer people ac- •Use state tax incentives and bonds to expand broadband Among the issues the task
<br /> tually subscribe to broadband. coverage to areas that aren't served today or are underserved force report doesn't tackle:af-
<br /> t Pew Internet and American by slow Internet speeds. fordability of broadband ser-
<br /> Life Project study quoted in •Set a statewide goal of providing download speeds of 10 vice nn Mimiesota and wheth-
<br /> the report says 57 percent of million to 20 million bits per second and upload speeds of 5 er cities should build their
<br /> Minnesota urban residents million to 10 million bits per second by 2015. own broadband networks, as
<br /> and 39.4 percent of rural res- •Aspire to be in the top five states in the nation for broad- Minneapolis and Monticello
<br /> idents subscribe.) band speed and availability. opted to do.
<br /> The state speed survey also •Create a Broadband Advisory Council for Minnesota to "We are not recommend-
<br /> defined broadband as a down- help meet these goals. ung that the state get involved t
<br /> load speed of 768,000 bits per in the price of broadband ser- i
<br /> second, not fast enough for What the task force doesn't recommend., vice,"King said."We are rec-
<br /> downloading video.King said -It does not recommend the state do anything about the ommending only that the state i
<br /> experts agree that 768,000 bits affordability of broadband service, have broadband availability
<br /> per second shouldn't be con- •It does not recommend that cities build their own broad- and speed goals."
<br /> sidered broadband.' band networks,which the task force considers"the option of King said the task force
<br /> The report urges the state last resort." doubted cities are capable of
<br /> to set a statewide goal of pro- maintaining their networks i
<br /> viding download speeds of 10 over time, even though Min- i
<br /> million to 20 million bits per to help meet the goals, band access sites for people neapolis already has a Wi-Fi
<br /> second by 2015—speeds that But while the task force re- who can't afford the service, wireless network built and
<br /> today are limited mostly to port focuses on expanding they said. Blandin also fa- run under city contract by
<br /> the Twin Cities metro area, broadband,the Blandin Foun vored higher speed goals than US Internet of Minnetonka,
<br /> The report also recommends dation of Grand Rapids,Minn., the task force recommends. and Monticello is building its
<br /> upload speeds of 5 million to an advocate for rural broad- King said the task force own fiber-optic cable network
<br /> 10 million bits per second that band, says the report doesn't lacked the financial expertise to be run by Hiawatha Broad-
<br /> are rare today. go far enough. to analyze tax incentive plans, band Corp.
<br /> In addition,the report says The report doesn't weigh and the group could not reach "There was great disagree-
<br /> Minnesota should aspire to be the relative merits of various a consensus about alternatives ment on the task force about
<br /> in the top five states in the na- tax incentive plans, which to tax incentives,such as free the good and bad of city net- }
<br /> tion for broadband speed and would be a big help for rural public access locations. The works," King said. "Current
<br /> availability. That would be areas,Blandin officials said.In task force chose broadband state law lets municipalities
<br /> a big jump, because in mid- addition,the report places too speed goals that would be suf- do it under certain rules,and
<br /> 2008,the state ranked 24th in much emphasis on expanding fncient for video uses now en- our report doesn't speak to
<br /> residential broadband avail- broadband service by provid- visioned,he said. that. We hope it's the option
<br /> ability, the report said. The ing state incentives to broad- "The Blandin people say of last resort," r
<br /> task force recommends creat- band providers;more empha- we should go a little farther, ti
<br /> ing an ongoing Broadband Ad- sis should instead be placed on and the people on the other Steve Alexander•612.673.4553
<br /> i visory Council for Minnesota providing free public broad- end say the goals we've set
<br /> For er bank employe cused oft $6139,000
<br /> B ROM D1 in assets an branche ,pri- gain from ar criminal actio east of Albert Lea, admitted
<br /> - — — -- "-- - manly ' e wester Twin ity,ora t$1.28 million, c- to obtaining money from cus-
<br /> costo ers ediateJy and Cities orbs. cor" to a spokesman f the tomer bank accounts, charg-
<br /> retur ed th oney,with in- 'einBank offic' s discov- U. attorney's office, t the ing personal expenditures i
<br /> ter t,Kle' s state ent said. ed the alleged eft when a tual sentence co be sub- oil the bank's credit cards
<br /> Y;, 's a very usual cir- customer cont ted the b stantially less.The I and the and cashing checks written
<br /> c ms ce for KleinB ,' concerning perceived - Carver County S eriff's Office to the bank and others while
<br /> said in a state ent. ket loss in investme ac- conducted the' vestigation A keeping the r himself.
<br /> "Even thou g it is an' olated count," ein wrote ' an e- plea hearin as not been set. Payne sen en ed in May
<br /> incident,w have t en steps mail res once to qu tions.`Af- This is e second time in to months in f eral prison
<br /> to ensure at this ill not,and ter we ook a clo look,it was about a y ar that a Minnesota and ordered to ay$609,848.
<br /> cannot peen ain—in any clear t the ount had been bank e ployee has been - In a sen ncing hearing
<br /> part of ur o anization.Our tan ered ' and that funds ruse yfederal offici with in May, U . District Court
<br /> integ ty is ne of our highest w re mis ' g.We approached mis- propriating ds from Judge An Montgomery said
<br /> core val s; our customer's e Inv tment representative b customers Payne's rimes had"ripped a
<br /> trus i omething we strive to c *e of the account, and In Octob 2008, Gerald small t wn asunder."
<br /> earn every day." Klein added confessed to the theft." Ian Pay , the former pres-
<br /> that, "there is no reason for If convicted, Meyer faces ident d majority owner of Chris S Tres•612-673-4308
<br /> any customer to be concerned a maximum sentence of 30 F'• State Bank Minnesota in
<br /> about their deposits." years in federal prison and a LeRoy,Minn,a town of about
<br /> KleinBank has $1.6 billion fine of up to twice the gross 1,000 people about 25 miles
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