You’re reading the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society’s Weekly Digest, a recap of the biggest (or most overlooked) broadband stories of the week. The digest is delivered via e-mail each Friday.

Round-Up for the Week of February 17-21, 2025

On November 1, 2024, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) and its Wisconsin Broadband Office (WBO) received over $13 million in Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). With this funding, WBO will implement the activities in its state Digital Equity Plan. The PSC will use its $13 million to implement key digital equity initiatives, including:

• Awarding grants to expand and support digital navigator programs through the Digital Navigator Competitive Grant program; and
• Offering a Digital Navigator Pilot Program for incarcerated individuals to increase digital skills.

Keep reading for the full list of activities included in PSC's timeline for its digital equity work.

Implementation Timeline

PSC's timeline is based on the strategies and metrics included in its Digital Equity Plan. The state's five core digital equity values are:

1. Access: Expanding high speed internet access to every residence, business, and institution in the state. All Wisconsin residents require access to high speed, reliable internet service to meet their specific needs and fully engage in today’s evolving digital society.
2. Affordability: Ensuring broadband and key digital services are affordable for all. Across all geographies, demographics, and levels of access to broadband service, affordability is the largest barrier to adoption of internet service in Wisconsin.
3. Adoption: Ensuring all residents can connect to the internet, with the appropriate accessible, internet-enabled devices, skills, information, and services specific to their needs in real time. Not only do Wisconsinites need access to affordable internet service, but they also require resources and services to ensure there is equity in adoption based on residents’ specific needs.
4. Trust: Providing readily accessible resources and supports to build trust with communities and ensure all feel safe when accessing the internet. All Wisconsinites and covered populations—particularly new adopters of internet service—need more trusted resources and support to increase confidence in accessing the internet and needed online services safely.
5. Sustainability: Supporting intentional activities and investments for ongoing device access, digital skills education, and affordable broadband subscriptions. Wisconsin and its covered populations will require sustained efforts to meet both the funding required to reduce equity gaps and to respond to the evolving digital equity needs of communities.

The Wisconsin PSC also recognizes that based on the funding available and Federal requirements, this timeline will need to be adjusted. The following are dependent on funding, capacity, and the timing of the state receiving funds as well as state interagency agreements. In the Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan timeline, milestones begin in January of that year and end in December of the same year. Short-term goals are identified as such, and all other goals are considered long-term.

Access

Goal: Universal broadband access

• 2025: 15 percent of broadband serviceable locations (BSLs) remain unserved
• 2026: 10 percent BSLs unserved
• 2027: 5 percent BSLs unserved
• 2028: 1 percent BSLs unserved
• 2029: .01 percent BSLs unserved

Goal: Statewide access and adoption

• 2024: Map state community anchor institutions (CAIs)
• 2025: Count of CAIs lacking 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps)
• 2026-2029: Increase the percentage of CAIs with 1 Gbps
• 2030: All CAIs have 1 Gbps

Affordability

Goal: Increase affordability of broadband

• 2024: Increase households with affordable broadband by 10 percent
• 2025: Increase households with affordable broadband by 10 percent AND 80 percent award with a broadband plan with speeds of at least 100/20 costing less than $65
• 2026-2030: Increase households with affordable broadband by 10 percent each year

Adoption

Goal: Digital Navigators Program implementation

• 2025: Add 10 digital navigator programs in at least 5 different areas of the state
• 2026: 12 total digital navigator programs, the 2 new programs being in 2 new areas of the state
• 2027: 15 total programs, the 3 new in 3 new areas of the state
• 2028: 20 total programs, the 5 new in any area of the state
• 2029: 30 total programs, the 10 new in any area of the state

Goal: Digital literacy skills and resources

• 2024: Digital navigator and skills resources are identified (short-term goal)

Goal: Cybersecurity resources

• 2024: partner and attend 2 state cybersecurity meetings
• 2025: Partner and attend 2 state cybersecurity meetings
• 2026: Assist in developing and adopting state cybersecurity standards
• 2027: Participate in public information campaign

Goal: Accessible device programs

• 2025: Identify standards for an accessible device program (short-term goal)
• 2026: Identify process for the incarcerated population of the State

Goal: Technical support resources

• 2025: Ensure Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity grants include technical support resources and language (short-term goal)

Trust

Goal: Community-based support programs

• 2025: Capital Projects Fund grant language includes covered populations (short-term goal)

Goal: Accessible, secure state resources

• 2024: Join state agencies accessibility workgroup (short-term goal)
• 2025-2030: Assist in implementing new accessibility standards

Sustainability

Goal: Sustainable community building

• 2025: Digital Equity Capacity Grants include language around sustainable community building for covered populations (short-term)

Goal: Strengthen digital equity ecosystem

• 2024-2030: Support and/or attend 20 digital equity events/meetings each year

Alignment with State Priorities

The Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan highlights interagency partnerships and digital equity initiatives that support state priorities in education, healthcare, and other public services.

Education

Wisconsin state entities and other stakeholders have ongoing efforts related to digital equity that the PSC has strategically aligned and incorporated into this plan. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provides publicly available data and resources that both highlight the digital equity needs and progress being made to improve access, adoption, and affordability allows the public to view aggregated digital equity data related to K-12 student households across the state, as well as maps that display broadband access and reliability data by school district. DPI also built individualized secure dashboards for schools to use to better understand and address individual student connectivity needs. PSC staff will continue to collaborate and share information with DPI to improve educational digital equity outcomes. DPI’s Digital Equity Dashboard allows the public to view aggregated digital equity data related to K-12 student households across the state, as well as maps that display broadband access and reliability data by school district. DPI also built individualized secure dashboards for schools to use to better understand and address individual student connectivity needs. PSC staff will continue to collaborate and share information with DPI to improve educational digital equity outcomes. Goals and objectives in Wisconsin's plan that support and align with the work of the DPI and education include Access and Affordability.

Library Services

DPI also supports the state’s school and public library system. The work of libraries is vital to all having access to the resources they need to be socially and civically engaged. The libraries are a safe place for people to learn, engage, apply for jobs or services, and receive needed assistance. The public library systems have already received federal grant dollars to support Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)––a Federal Communications Commission-run program that expired in 2024––outreach. They are deeply engaged in DE work and the PSC will continue to work with DPI to implement the DE goals across all libraries. This includes device access, digital navigators, culturally relevant training, and technology support. DPI was awarded an ACP Outreach Grant of $353,300 from the FCC to support ACP enrollment events at libraries, schools, and other community-based organizations. These targeted outreach events will result in improved awareness and increased enrollment in the ACP in Wisconsin. Goals and objectives in Wisconsin's plan that align with the state’s libraries and civic engagement include Access, Affordability and Adoption.

Health

DHS recognizes the link between health outcomes and internet access, as reported in its 2020 Statewide Health Assessment. The PSC will collaborate with DHS and provide data and information to aid in the agency’s ongoing broadband access and digital equity efforts. Additionally, the PSC will assist in sharing out DHS best practices for healthy outcomes related in support of DE goals. Goals and objectives in Wisconsin's plan that align with the state’s health outcomes include Access, Affordability and Adoption.

Efforts Across Priorities

The PSC and stakeholders identified alignment between goals in the plan and access to essential services for Wisconsin residents. By realizing the goals in the plan, Wisconsin residents will have increased access to health care; increased community prosperity, economic development and tourism; increased property values and tax base; and increased access to and participation in local government; and other access to essential services such as energy assistance, food and housing security resources and childcare. Goals and objectives in Wisconsin's plan that align with state residents' access to essential services include Access, Affordability, Adoption and Trust.

Workforce Development

The PSC and its stakeholders that are collaborating on broadband workforce development planning to support BEAD implementation understand the necessity of digital skills, access, adoption, and device ownership for increasing the state labor force for both broadband expansion and all labor sectors. The PSC has engaged and will continue to collaborate with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), regional Job Centers that administer federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funding programs, technical colleges, educational institutions, and nonprofit entities to ensure our strategies and goals are aligned with their goals and needs. The PSC and the digital equity ecosystem work will align our strategies to increase workforce participation, secure financial stability for covered populations, and bolster state and local economies. Goals and objectives in Wisconsin's plan that align with the state’s workforce development and economic engagement include Access, Affordability, Adoption, and Trust.

Wisconsin's Vision

If successful in implementing its digital equity plan, Wisconsin envisions a future in which all Wisconsinites will have equitable access to affordable broadband service and the capacity to fully engage in a digital society. The state recognizes that high-speed broadband will benefit all residents and communities. PSC will help achieve this through balancing the long- and short-term goals outlined in the Wisconsin Digital Equity Plan, engaging in collaborative partnerships, and consistently listening to the stories of covered populations. The PSC is confident that, working together, Internet for All Wisconsin will be achieved.

Additional Coverage on Wisconsin's Broadband Priorities

• Wisconsin's Digital Equity Values

• Equitable Access to Affordable Broadband in Wisconsin

• Wisconsin Broadband Infrastructure Projects Get a Boost from American Rescue Plan

See the latest Wisconsin broadband news

More in this Series

• When Will Nevada Implement Its Digital Equity Plan?
• Michigan Is on the Road to Closing the Digital Divide by 2030
• California Takes Steps Towards Digital Equity
• Digital Equity Funding Boosts Innovative Connectivity in Indiana
• Connecting Georgians with Digital Equity Capacity Funds
• Digital Equity Capacity in New Mexico
• Every Connecticuter Connected With Capacity Funds
• Securing Minnesota's Future with Digital Equity Capacity Funds
• ConnectingALL with Digital Equity Capacity Grant in New York
• Linking Alabama to Broadband With a Digital Equity Capacity Grant
• West Virginia's Digital Equity Timeline
• Montana Advances Opportunity with Digital Equity
• Maine Uses Digital Equity Capacity Funds to Ensure Communities Can Thrive

Quick Bits

• President Trump Issues Order to Expand His Power Over Agencies Congress Made Independent
• Led by Trump-picked Chairman Carr, the FCC takes aim at media companies
• Now Accepting Nominations for the 2025 Digital Equity Champions Awards
• Digital Inclusion Bytes: Digital Skills – Which skills are we talking about?

Weekend Reads

• New Brattle Study Finds the Affordable Connectivity Program Pays for Itself
• Telecommunications Policy
• Comparing 5G Wireless Rural/Urban Connectivity in the 50 U.S. States
• The Kids are Online: Research-Driven Insights on Child Safety Policy

ICYMI from Benton

• New Dataset Reveals Impact of RDOF Defaults on Each State
• The Broadband Priorities of House Communications Subcommittee Republicans
• Seattle’s Equity-Based Approach to Digital Inclusion
• The Kūpuna Collective: A Public Health Coalition Advancing Digital Equity

Upcoming Events

Feb 25––Nominations Hearing (Senate Commerce Committee)

Feb 26––State and Community Adoption Initiatives: Maximizing Federal Broadband Investments (OTI, NDIA, ITIF)

Feb 27––February 2025 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (FCC)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

© Benton Institute for Broadband & Society 2024. Redistribution of this email publication - both internally and externally - is encouraged if it includes this copyright statement.

For subscribe/unsubscribe info, please email headlinesATbentonDOTorg

Kevin Taglang
Executive Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Institute
for Broadband & Society
1041 Ridge Rd, Unit 214
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-220-4531
headlines AT benton DOT org

Share this edition:

Broadband Delivers Opportunities and Strengthens Communities