Lake County chronicles their journey to broadband adoption on YouTube

July 25, 2014 by Blandin Foundation Posted in Broadband, Grants

The North Shore is a destination for many Minnesotans who want to unplug from everyday life — figuratively, not literally of course! Even in times of relaxation, we still want to be able to stream our favorite television show, search the address of that delicious cafe, or YouTube a tutorial on how to set the hook when we catch that big Lake Superior fish.

But high-speed broadband is a key that can open many more doors that just the one that leads to happy tourists.

As a historically underserved area, Lake County applied for federal stimulus funds in 2012 to build a countywide broadband network. After a few years of hard work, they recently signed up their first customer. From the digital natives in the schools, to the digital immigrants in the workplace, community members from around the county have pulled together to identify and implement broadband initiatives that contribute to the health and vitality of their area.

As a project coming out of the Blandin Broadband Communities Program, Lake County recently launched their own YouTube channel, chronicling their journey to broadband adoption. Videos highlight the important role broadband plays in education, community leadership, health care, economic development, etc. Below is one video from their channel. Visit the Lake County Digital Institute channel to see the entire library.