Wisconsin got the stamp of approval for its “Internet for All” initiative from the federal government.
This approval allows Wisconsin to access $1.05 billion in funding and implement the BEAD program. BEAD is a broadband grant program from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Wisconsin will use the money to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks to ensure that everyone has access to service.
“In the 21st century, high-speed Internet is a necessity, not a luxury,” says Gov. Tony Evers. “Even with all of the progress we’ve made, we still have a long way to go. This support… is critical to continuing these efforts and ensuring Wisconsinites can access the reliable service they need and deserve.”
Brittany Beyer, an Extension specialist in community economic development out of Rhinelander, has been on the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access since it started in 2020, chairing the task force for the first two years. She says the task force helped develop the proposal that had just been approved at the end of July.
Since 2019, Wisconsin has allocated more than $345 million in state and federal funds to expand high-speed internet, including the state’s largest-ever investment in broadband expansion. Through these efforts, the broadband adoption rate, meaning the number of households with internet subscriptions, has reached 88 percent—the highest it has ever been and a full 11 percent higher than it was five years ago.
Beyer explains that the grant money helps rural communities and providers get over the hurdles to connect residents. She says state grant money often requires a match. Installing broadband infrastructure is expensive, and towns can’t match the grants. For a provider, Beyer says it’s hard to justify the expense of installation when there are fewer people over a longer distance.
She says by the end of the BEAD program, roughly 2030, all Wisconsin residents will have access to high-speed internet.
