Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday urged Republicans in the Wisconsin State Legislature to approve state budget investments to continue expanding high-speed internet across Wisconsin. This comes as new sweeping Trump Administration changes to the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program will effectively delay broadband funding Wisconsin expects to receive. The Wisconsin Broadband Office at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin estimates that 39% of Wisconsinites lack access to affordable internet, and there are 262,000 locations considered unserved in Wisconsin as of December 2024.
The Joint Committee on Finance is scheduled to take up Evers’ 2025-27 Executive Budget proposal to invest $400 million in the state’s Broadband Expansion Grant Program, which works to provide or improve broadband internet in unserved areas across the state.
