Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and state Public Service Commission Broadband State Director Dr. Tithi Chattopadhyay announced the winners of the 2014 Broadband Expansion Grants at events in Rhinelander, Eau Claire and Platteville Monday.
WisConnect Wireless and Prosperity Southwest Wisconsin Regional Economic Development Corporation were awarded $35,469 to install a point-to-point wireless backbone facility to upgrade service to 550 existing customers and to expand its network to an additional 450 customers south of the Wisconsin River in northern Grant and Iowa counties.
“Broadband internet access is about way more than streaming movies and music,” said Kleefisch. “It allows local businesses to connect with colleagues and customers around the globe. It enables our students to explore the world with interactive information. Broadband expands the economic and educational horizons of our citizens, and we’re excited to see the impact of these grants for communities across Wisconsin.”
The State of Wisconsin authorized $500,000 in grants to be distributed for this calendar year as part of the state’s 2013–15 budget.
“These grants will help ensure that the growth and expansion of broadband availability will begin to reach areas of the state that are in dire need of connectivity,” said the PSC’s Nathan Conrad in a news release. “Today’s events in Rhinelander, Eau Claire and Platteville showcase Wisconsin’s commitment to increasing access and providing communities throughout the Badger State with quality contact to the wired and wireless world of the Internet.”
