Dane County Moves Forward with Broadband Infrastructure Engineering Assessment

September 13, 2022
County Board Supervisor Melissa Ratcliff, (608) 239-6548
County Board

                                                                      Assessment one of the recommendations of the Dane County Broadband Task Force

The Dane County Board of Supervisors recently approved a contract with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. to complete a broadband infrastructure engineering assessment and coordination of implementation of fiber broadband throughout Dane County.

The assessment was recommended from the Dane County Broadband Task Force as part of the work that was completed in the last year.

"The Task Force has put in a lot of work over the last year to address Broadband expansion in Dane County. This assessment should provide some of the information that is critical to continuing this work, including more specific data about where there is and isn’t service, as well as the mechanisms that can move the dial on expansion," said County Board Supervisor Melissa Ratcliff (District 36), Chair of the Task Force.

The goals of the study include:

• understanding what is currently available, and where the existing infrastructure serves;
• determining the capacity and who owns the infrastructure;
• identifying voids or deficiencies in service;
• recommending options for providing service in both the short and long term.

AECOM will soon be doing their work and it is anticipated the assessment will go into the spring of 2023.

"We know that broadband access issues exist in the rural areas of Dane County, however, there are also access and affordability issues in the urban areas as well. I’m eager to see what recommendations the assessment brings forward to ensure all members of the community are able to have affordable, reliable internet access," said County Board Supervisor Jeff Glazer (District 8), Vice Chair of the Task Force.

The Dane County Broadband Task Force created more than 30 recommendations, which can be found in the 2021-2022 Dane County Broadband Task Force Report. The Task Force was extended this summer by the County Board to continue working on broadband expansion until the end of 2024.