When 250,000 visitors descended on Green Bay for the NFL Draft last spring, they experienced something that many Wisconsin residents still lack: seamless, reliable internet connectivity.
The $21 million network investment that powered that event represents more than infrastructure. It’s a blueprint for addressing one of our state’s most pressing economic challenges.
Nearly 22% of Wisconsin residents still lack access to reliable internet, leaving over 421,000 homes and businesses unserved or underserved, according to a November 2024 Wisconsin Public Radio report.
That places Wisconsin among the states with the lowest (45th) broadband access in the nation. While rural areas bear the brunt of Wisconsin’s digital divide, urban areas are not immune, as nearly 27% of Milwaukee households still lack reliable internet access, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported in April 2023.
This is an economic development crisis that touches every corner of our state, limiting educational outcomes, constraining small business growth and hampering workforce development.
Broadband = business
Expanding access to reliable internet strengthens communities while fueling entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.
According to a September 2024 report titled “Beyond connectivity: The role of broadband in rural economic growth and resilience” by the Center on Rural Innovation, rural U.S. counties with high broadband adoption rates (over 80%) have experienced 44% higher GDP growth and 18% higher per capita income growth compared to areas with low adoption.
These high-adoption rural counties also saw 213% higher business growth, demonstrating how broadband drives innovation and opportunity.
Students struggle to complete homework without reliable internet. Small manufacturers can’t compete for contracts if they lack the digital infrastructure to support modern supply chains. Health care providers are unable to offer telemedicine services to patients in remote areas.
These aren’t abstract statistics; they’re our neighbors, and their challenges ripple through our entire economy.
But Wisconsin’s business community has an opportunity to lead on this issue, and some are already showing the way forward.
The Green Bay investment demonstrates how private sector leadership can create lasting community benefit. What began as preparation for a major event became permanent infrastructure serving the broader region.
When businesses invest in connectivity, they’re not just improving their own operations. They’re building the foundation for economic growth that benefits everyone.
This approach works because it recognizes that closing the digital divide isn’t just about laying fiber or installing cell towers. It’s about understanding that connectivity challenges often intersect with other barriers to economic participation.
Our Verizon Innovative Learning initiative provides educators and students with internet access and devices, as well as training to ensure the technology is infused seamlessly into the revamped curriculum. In Wisconsin, we’ve supported 45,000 students and nearly 9 million nationwide.
Additionally, the veteran debt relief initiative we launched, which wiped more than $4 million in medical debt over two years in Wisconsin alone, illustrates this interconnected approach.
Financial stability and digital access go hand in hand. A veteran struggling with medical debt can’t prioritize internet service but removing that debt burden creates space for digital participation that enables career advancement and community engagement.
Rural Wisconsin faces particular challenges that require innovative solutions. Traditional infrastructure models often don’t work in areas with lower population density, but creative partnerships between private companies, local governments and community organizations can bridge these gaps.
The business case for these investments is clear. Connected communities attract talent, support innovation, and create markets for goods and services. When we expand digital access, we’re not just solving a social problem, we’re building the infrastructure that enables economic growth.
But success requires more than good intentions. It demands partnerships that leverage the strengths of different sectors. Private companies bring technical expertise and capital. Local governments provide regulatory support and community knowledge. Educational institutions and nonprofits understand the specific needs of underserved populations.
Clear choice
Wisconsin’s business leaders have a choice. We can wait for someone else to solve the digital divide, or we can recognize it as both a challenge and an opportunity. The companies that invest in connectivity today are positioning themselves and their communities for tomorrow’s economy.
This isn’t about corporate social responsibility as an afterthought. It’s about understanding that our businesses succeed when our communities thrive. The student who gains reliable internet access today becomes tomorrow’s skilled worker. The small business that gets connected becomes a supplier, customer or partner. The rural community that gains digital access becomes a market for our products and services.
The path forward requires Wisconsin businesses to think beyond their immediate needs and invest in the digital infrastructure that will define our state’s economic future.
Whether through direct investment in connectivity projects, partnerships with telecommunications providers, support for digital literacy programs, or advocacy for policies that encourage broadband expansion, every business leader has a role to play.
The question isn’t whether Wisconsin will close its digital divide, it’s whether our business community will lead that effort or follow from behind. The communities that get connected first will have the advantage. The businesses that help make those connections will be positioned to benefit from the growth that follows.
That’s why Verizon is dedicated to expanding connectivity across Wisconsin, having invested $380 million in the state over the past three years alone.
Wisconsin has always been a state that builds things, from manufacturing to agriculture to technology. Now it’s time to build the digital infrastructure that will power our next chapter of economic growth.
The investment we make today in connectivity will determine whether Wisconsin competes or falls behind in tomorrow’s economy.
Andy Brady is president of Great Lakes, Verizon. He serves as Great Lakes’ market president for Verizon’s consumer unit and leads a team of employees across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Interested in offering leadership guidance to IB Madison readers? Email Katie Dean at katie.dean@ibmadison.com to be considered for this column.
