MADISON, Wis.— Today, Gov. Tony Evers and Summer Strand, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), announced that the PSC gave more than $27.8 million from the Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program to 11 projects across Wisconsin.
These projects will improve internet connectivity by giving people access to devices, technology, and digital navigators.
The Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program gave money to 11 projects. These projects will give loaned devices to about 52,409 homes and give 33,682 households free Wi-Fi. The Capital Projects Fund (CPF) Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program aims to make the internet easier for people to get and more affordable.
It does this to go along with the historic federal and state investments in broadband expansion that have helped more than 410,000 homes and businesses get new or better broadband services since Gov. Evers took office in 2019.
“Reliable, high-speed internet is important for work, school, seeing doctors, and staying in touch with our communities,” Gov. Evers said. “I am proud that our administration has done more than any other in state history to increase access to high-speed internet.”
“Since 2019, we’ve set aside more than $345 million to make sure that more than 410,000 homes and businesses get new or better, reliable, high-speed internet. I’m still committed to closing the digital divide and keeping our economy going strong.”
The U.S. Department of the Treasury gave Wisconsin money through the CPF under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARPA) to run this program and close important gaps in high-speed internet access, cost, and use. This is a one-of-a-kind chance to close the digital gap in Wisconsin.
According to the American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022, about 7% of Wisconsin citizens did not have a computer in their home. Over 1 in 12 homes did not have a broadband subscription, even if there was a device in the home.
Through the Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program, computers, laptops, and tablets are given to eligible families so that they can be connected to the internet. Installing Wi-Fi in qualified multi-dwelling units, such as apartment buildings, condos, and mobile home parks, is another way the program encourages digital connectivity.
Digital guidance services will be a part of both plans to make sure that people in Wisconsin can use the internet for work, school, health monitoring, and other important things. A digital advisor is a reliable person who helps others use the internet and digital devices.
PSC Chairperson Strand said, “Under Governor Evers’s leadership, Wisconsin has made historic strides to expand access to new or better broadband infrastructure. But this is not enough to close the digital divide in our state on its own.”
“The 11 Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program grants will help thousands more Wisconsin households get devices, find cheap internet service, and learn how to use technology properly to go along with this important initiative.” I’m proud of the PSC’s ongoing work to make the internet more accessible and less expensive so that everyone in Wisconsin can use it to live, learn, work, and be a full part of society.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is still in place, but the CPF Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program is a grant program run by the PSC. The Federal Communications Commission ran the ACP, which helped certain families pay for broadband. It stopped in April 2024 because the U.S. Congress did not give it any more money.
Additional information about the Digital Connectivity and Navigators Program is available here.
A summary of the applications awarded grant funding is available here.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND INVESTMENTS IN WISCONSIN
The CPF is meant to fix the problems with internet connection that were there before the coronavirus pandemic but got worse because of it. Gov. Evers announced in March that the CPF Broadband Infrastructure Grant Program would be giving out $43.2 million in grants, which were paid for by ARPA, to improve broadband coverage across the state.
As part of ARPA, the U.S. Department of the Treasury gave Wisconsin $42 million through the CPF to run the Broadband Infrastructure Program and spend in building and deploying broadband to places that don’t have access to good, affordable service.
The Commission’s awards also included an extra $1.3 million from earlier ARPA broadband grants ordered by Gov. Evers. This money was available because of administrative savings and projects that had already been given it not being fully paid for.
The Wisconsin Department of Administration also announced in April that the Flexible Facility Program application time was now open.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury gave Wisconsin $107 million through the Community Facilities Fund (CPF) under ARPA to build or improve buildings like libraries, community centers, and multi-use community facilities that will offer reliable, affordable high-speed internet and other digital connectivity technology that will directly enable work, education, and health monitoring. The state could also buy digital connectivity equipment.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EVERS ADMINISTRATION INVESTMENTS IN HIGH-SPEED INTERNET STATEWIDE
The government of Gov. Evers has done more than any other in state history to make high-speed internet more available to more people. Since 2019, Gov. Evers has used more than $345 million in state and government funds to increase high-speed internet. This is the biggest investment the state has ever made in its history.
Because of these investments, the Commission has been able to give funds to more than 410,000 homes and businesses to help them get new or better broadband services. In his most recent budget, the governor called for the state to spend an extra $750 million on broadband expansion to go along with the government money that will be given to the state in the coming years.
Unfortunately, the federal funds Wisconsin hopes to receive will not be enough to meet the needs of everyone in the state when it comes to broadband. This is because Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature took this funding out of the final budget and didn’t add any new funding for broadband.
In addition to state and federal investments, in 2020, Gov. Evers created the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access to advise the governor and the Legislature on broadband actions, policies, and strategies to successfully expand high-speed internet in Wisconsin.
In 2021, Gov. Evers declared it the Year of Broadband Access. That year, Gov. Evers directed $100 million in federal funds to broadband expansion—the largest single round of broadband investment in state history.
Further, last year, Gov. Evers, together with the PSC and the Department of Public Instruction, also announced the launch of the Internet Discount Finder website to help Wisconsin households find and access affordable internet.
As the PSC gets ready to carry out President Biden’s “Internet for All” Initiative and reach Gov. Evers’ goal of closing Wisconsin’s digital gap, this work is still being done by the Evers Administration.
An online version of this release is available here.