Getting Wisconsin Wired

The past few days have been very exciting for Wisconsin residents who still don’t have broadband internet access.

First, the Public Service Commission was awarded the much needed and anticipated $1.7 million broadband mapping grant last Friday.

Kathleen Gallagher, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Journal Reporter wrote an article about how the grant will affect Wisconsin. Thad Nation, Wired Wisconsin’s Executive Director, was quoted throughout the article.

“This is a really good sign,” said Thad Nation, executive director of Wired Wisconsin, a year-old technology advocacy group. “It’s very positive news that the PSC sees this as an important issue, and they must have put in a very strong application to be among the first to get this award.”

Then, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the agencies in charge of dispersing stimulus funds, outlined the new plan for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s broadband grant and loan programs to address the great deal of criticism they have received about how slowly the broadband deployment nationwide was happening.

GREAT news for Wisconsin!

RUS and NTIA are also seeking public feedback on how to affectively get the funds dispersed.

Read the press release RUS and NTIA put out about why and how they will expedite the process Here.

Individuals interested in providing feedback should see Request for Information (RFI)

Broadband Deployment in rural areas is so important as both a way and means to economic development but also bringing and keeping jobs in Wisconsin.

Read our Wired Wisconsin Broadband Deployment Issue Statement