“The world is a lot flatter now than it used to be,” said Steve Larson, a regional adminsitrator for the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). “If you are a small rural community, there are not only companies in the metro area, there are companies all over the world that can compete for products and services you provide."
A key to that competition is access to high-speed internet connections, which requires new infrastructure and training throughout much of Greater Minnesota. That access can help increase access to jobs throughout the state.