Grant Requests for Broadband Expansion in Wisconsin Far Exceeds Funds Available

Tuesday, November 21st, 2023 -- 8:01 AM

(Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) Demand for broadband expansion grant funding in Wisconsin is far outstripping the cash available in the program, according to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

According to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Public Radio, the state received 125 applications for $221.6 million for the Broadband Infrastructure Grant program, five times the $42 million the state has available for grants, according to Gov. Tony Evers’ office.

That's the highest ratio of requested funding to available funding for any broadband grant round since 2014. "Clearly, the need far outweighs the resources available, and we must keep making meaningful state investments to prioritize and invest in the robust broadband infrastructure needed to meet our state’s 21st-century needs," Evers said in a statement.

The Legislature rejected Evers’ $750 million request to expand broadband in Wisconsin this summer as they crafted the state budget. Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee cited an influx of federal funding for the effort, and said service providers were already at capacity, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Broadband Infrastructure grants, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, are aimed at providing high-speed internet to areas lacking access, according to the governor's office. The Public Service Commission, or PSC, is expected to announce award recipients by spring 2024.

According to a PSC document, the program prioritizes funding for communities that were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic due to a lack of broadband. Alyssa Kenney, broadband and digital equity director at the PSC, said the pandemic highlighted that high-speed internet access is essential for families.

She said there were instances where families had to drive to a McDonald’s parking lot for their children to attend school virtually because they didn’t have access to quality internet at home.

"Almost anyone without broadband had sort of a more profound impact from the pandemic," she said. "These dollars are really more targeted to communities and locations that were more impacted by the pandemic, or are more susceptible if there's another pandemic to be overly impacted."

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