Governor Evers, during the course of the 2021 State of the State, called for bipartisan support for an initiative to expand broadband access in Wisconsin. Governor Evers, in the speech, declared 2021 "the year of broadband access" and stated that he wanted to ensure every Wisconsinite has ""access to reliable, high-speed internet." At the State-level of government, the Governor plans to put $190 million toward the effort. Wisconsin currently ranks 30th in the nation for broadband coverage. According to data from the Federal Communications Commission, more than 5.4 million Wisconsin residents (93%) of the population have access to broadband internet; however, 398,900 Wisconsin residents lack access to broadband internet.
You might be thinking, "how does this affect me?" Well, not everyone in your area – Brown County – has access to broadband internet. Some Brown County Residents, unfortunately, are lacking access to the internet. Lack of quality internet access creates disparities between those who do have internet access. Think about your experience with the COVID-19 pandemic. You or someone you know likely has to use internet access to remotely work or attend school. Even prior to the pandemic, those that did not have reliable, quality internet access struggled, and even more after the pandemic.