Grant To Bring High-Speed Broadband To Underserved Parts Of Green County
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Green County Development Corporation (GCDC) has received a grant to expand high-speed broadband coverage across much of the rural and underserved areas of Green County. This will bring service to more than 6,500 households and 100 businesses in Green County.
The additional funding comes from Gov. Tony Evers’ initiative to allocate Coronavirus Aid and Economic Security (CARES) Act Funding for Broadband Expansion. The state was looking for “shovel-ready” broadband infrastructure projects. These projects are required to meet an extremely expedited deployment schedule and be capable of connecting customers to service on or before December 30, 2020.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) awarded the $420,000 grant to GCDC on Thursday, October 8. The project will provide true high-speed (25+Mbps for residential and 100+Mbps for business) fixed wireless service to a large portion of Green County, including parts of the municipalities of New Glarus, Monticello, Albany and the surrounding townships.
GCDC’s private partner Litewire Internet Services of Evansville will implement the project. In addition, matching funds of almost $609,000 have been committed to the project, which totals $1,028,864.
The broadband project will use 43 existing structures, such as water towers, wind generators and silos. This strategy saves time in bringing service, while also repurposing existing structures and reducing environmental impact. Most of the site locations already have lease agreements in place.
“Broadband infrastructure is a critical tool for Green County residents to access learning, work and healthcare during this public health crisis. Access to broadband service for underserved Green County residents will help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and supports social distancing recommendations,” said Cara Carper, GCDC Executive Director.
While there are other providers in portions of the project coverage area, most of the county is underserved, according to the PSC’s coverage map. The system is expected to serve approximately 600 square miles of unserved or underserved areas. This represents 6,586 households and 118 businesses.
In addition to rural New Glarus that will be served by a new tower, the Green County Upgrade Project will serve the following communities: Belleville and surrounding area; Village of Brooklyn and the majority of the Town of Brooklyn; Attica; the majority of the Town of Adams; Town of Albany; the northern portion of Brodhead; portions of the Town of Decatur; the majority of the Town of Exeter; Village of Monticello; Town of Mount Pleasant; Town of Spring Grove; portions of the Town of Washington; and rural portions of Monroe.
For more information, please contact Cara Carper at GCDC at (608) 328-9452 or cara.gcdc@tds.net.
A list of other Wisconsin projects awarded Broadband Grants through the CARES Act: https://psc.wi.gov/Documents/broadband/ListBBProjectsFundedThroughCARESAct.pdf.
GCDC, a multi-jurisdictional economic development corporation, was formed to bring professional economic development expertise to its member communities to create a competitive advantage to spur job creation and new investments. The organization is building the economic future of Green County communities and businesses through public-private partnerships. For more information, visit GCDC at online at http://www.greencountyedc.com.
