Updated
Updated · WBAY · Jul 15
Wisconsin Broadband Task Force Reports 2018 Coverage Gains, Flags Rural Gaps
Updated
Updated · WBAY · Jul 15

Wisconsin Broadband Task Force Reports 2018 Coverage Gains, Flags Rural Gaps

1 articles · Updated · WBAY · Jul 15

Summary

  • Wisconsin’s final broadband task force report shows large swaths of the state that lacked modern high-speed internet in 2018 are now covered.
  • Years of state and federal investment brought new or improved broadband service to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses, driving the gains mapped in the report.
  • The report still identifies pockets without service, concentrated in the hardest-to-reach rural areas.
  • Those remaining gaps will need targeted grants and long-term affordability support to achieve full statewide coverage, the task force said.

Insights

As federal funds build the network, how will Wisconsin ensure rural internet remains affordable for families?
With federal policy no longer prioritizing fiber, will Wisconsin's rural areas get a less future-proof internet?
Why do federal and state officials disagree on which 30,000 Wisconsin locations still need internet access?