On Tuesday, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced the latest major milestone in the state’s efforts to expand high-speed internet statewide under a federal program designed to expand access to high-speed internet across the country.
On December 2, the federal government approved Wisconsin’s final proposal, which will unlock over $1 billion in federal investments secured under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Evers Administration’s proposal aims at expanding access to high-speed internet to more than 175,000 homes and businesses across the state.
The more than $1 billion in federal investments are unlocked through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) approving Wisconsin’s final Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program proposal. As approved by NTIA, the awards will provide funding to serve all BEAD-eligible locations throughout the state with the support of more than $397 million in matching funds provided by recipients.
Funding will also support high-speed fiber internet services at Community Anchor Institutions such as schools, libraries, and local government and educational facilities. The breakdown of technologies represented in the awards is 76 percent fiber, 10 percent fixed wireless, and 14 percent satellite. With this NTIA approval, environmental review and final engineering of projects can now begin, and infrastructure construction is expected to commence in 2026.