News of the Day May 20, 2026
PSC Announces $60 million in Funding to Expand Broadband Access to Unserved Communities

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), announced $60 million to expand access to high-speed internet in unserved communities through the State Broadband Expansion Grant Program. The grant funding is available to organizations, telecommunications utilities, or a city, village, town, or county partnering with a telecommunications provider, for the purpose of providing internet connectivity to more homes and businesses in Wisconsin.

This grant round is intended to close gaps by reaching locations not served by the federally funded Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program, as well as providing improved broadband service to certain locations in the state. The PSC is now accepting applications for broadband construction projects in unserved areas of the state, specifically targeting locations that lack speeds of 100/20 Mbps. Additional information about the State Broadband Expansion Grant Program grant eligibility can be found on the PSC website.

The Wisconsin Broadband Office estimates that after removing locations set to receive improved fiber and fixed wireless service through BEAD or other programs, at least 30,000 locations in Wisconsin would remain unserved. These remaining locations require connectivity funding and stand to benefit from State Broadband Expansion Grant Program funds.

This announcement comes as, in December 2025, the federal government approved Wisconsin’s final BEAD Program proposal, which unlocked over $1 billion in federal investments secured under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden. Today, the PSC is currently administering the federally funded BEAD Program, with construction expected to begin Summer 2026.