Broadband in Rural Wisconsin

Universal broadband access is crucial for Wisconsin. Over the past two decades, the growing importance of broadband for business, farming, school, and governments has been obvious. The COVID-19 pandemic has re-emphasized its critical nature. While broadband access is nearly universal in Wisconsin cities and villages, there are major gaps in rural Wisconsin. According to the most recent data from the Federal Communications Commission, 25% of rural residents lack access to 25 Mbps broadband, the speed which is now considered the standard. Wisconsin’s level of inaccessibility is worse than the national average and 35 other states. Rural access to 25 Mbps broadband varies widely by county. The highest levels of access generally are in the relatively small rural parts of urban counties, such as Kenosha, Racine, and Waukesha counties. However, in nine more sparsely-populated counties—Ashland, Clark, Douglas, Iron, Marinette, Price, Richland, Rusk, and Taylor—less than half of the rural population has broadband at that speed available. Wisconsin’s broadband infrastructure does have key successes, though. Access levels at speeds of 10 Mbps or higher are better than the U.S. average—93.6% of rural Wisconsin residents had access to those speeds vs. 91.3% nationally. In areas with 10 Mbps access, the strategy for achieving universal 25 Mbps access will involve upgrading current service rather than bringing new broadband to areas where it does not exist. The state has also shown how a variety of technologies and strategies can be employed to provide broadband to rural populations. In Vernon, Ozaukee, Kewaunee, and Pierce counties, at least 92% of the rural population has access to 25 Mbps broadband. In Vernon County, fiber is by far the primary technology for accessing it. In Ozaukee, nearly 90% gain access through cable or DSL lines. Eighty percent of Kewaunee County residents receive broadband via fixed wireless towers. Pierce County has no dominant technology; a combination of these technologies are employed for a high level of broadband access. Local governments can play a leadership role in solving the problem of adequate universal broadband. They are uniquely positioned to identify underserved areas, which is a critical first step in addressing the access issue. Additionally, local governments can help connect local private providers to various state or federal grant programs, as successful broadband projects often require the collaboration of multiple stakeholders to identify and address the problem.