The Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access released its fifth annual report. Building upon findings from the previous task force reports, it provides an update on achievements to expand access, adoption, and affordability of high-speed internet across Wisconsin.
The fifth annual report also makes recommendations for state investments in broadband programs while prioritizing workforce development initiatives, making permitting and locating reforms, and advancing efforts to improve internet affordability and digital skills training.
Successes
Since 2019, the state 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, which will help more than 410,000 homes and businesses access new or improved broadband.
In the last year alone, broadband availability improved significantly across the state, with 93,000 previously unserved locations receiving access to high-speed internet service and 163,000 households and businesses receiving new access to fiber internet service.
The broadband adoption rate in Wisconsin, meaning the number of households with internet subscriptions, has reached over 89 percent — the highest it has ever been. Further, over 88 percent of Wisconsin households and businesses have access to high-speed internet, and the number of unserved locations in Wisconsin has decreased by 28 percent in the last year.
Improvements from 2024 to 2025 are driven in large part by historic investments in broadband expansion under the two largest grant rounds in PSC’s history: $100 million awarded in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act Broadband Access Program; and $125 million awarded in 2022 under the State Broadband Expansion Program. A majority of the projects awarded through these programs have helped connect approximately 63,000 new households since 2024.
Gov. Evers’ administration has done more to expand access to high-speed internet than any other administration in state history, and although great progress has been made to connect more Wisconsin homes and businesses to high-speed internet, more work remains. According to the most recent estimates from the PSC’s Wisconsin Broadband Office, 39 percent of Wisconsinites lack access to affordable internet and 262,000 locations, or 11.4 percent of locations, are considered unserved in Wisconsin as of December 2024.
See recent Mid-West Farm Report coverage on an internet success story: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2025/06/29/broadband-projects-help-streamline-dairy-farm/
More To Be Done
The task force’s recommendations to the governor and the Wisconsin State Legislature in its 2025 annual report include:
- Investing additional state budget funding for broadband expansion to ensure all Wisconsinites have access to high-speed internet;
- Prioritizing the deployment of fiber technology where practicable and other quality technology solutions in harder to reach areas;
- Collaborating with infrastructure owners, Diggers Hotline, internet service providers, and utility locators to ensure streamlined and timely locating processes to avoid delays in broadband deployment and construction;
- Investing in and supporting comprehensive, statewide workforce development efforts, youth apprenticeships, worker training programs, and awareness campaigns to ensure a sufficient, skilled workforce for broadband deployment, operation, and maintenance;
- Advocating for the development and implementation of state-level solutions to maintain broadband affordability for low-income households following the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program; and
- Improving digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness by educating and empowering Wisconsinites to use digital skills and artificial intelligence responsibly, effectively, and in ways that improve their lives.
