Expanding Broadband Adoption in Wisconsin with Digital Equity Capacity Funds

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.

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.