Resolution to Accept Wisconsin Public Service Commission Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Planning Grant Funds to be Considered by Dane County Board

June 15, 2023
Dane County Supervisor Melissa Ratcliff
County Board

At tonight’s 7:00pm Dane County Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board will consider a resolution to accept $20,171.15 from the State of Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC). 

Earlier in the year the PSC provided notice that Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Local Planning Grants were available in the form of formula funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to Wisconsin counties and federally recognized Tribes to generate locally informed analysis of broadband needs and develop each community’s vision for broadband development.

The grant funding will be used to develop a 5 year broadband deployment plan. The county will gather data and input to aid in the development of Wisconsin’s BEAD and Digital Equity Plan which will direct the deployment of federal dollars designated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The BEAD funding comes as the Dane County Broadband Task Force continues work on a broadband Engineering Assessment, and while the process to hire a Broadband Coordinator is underway.  

“We know that broadband access is an issue throughout the county and state.  The Broadband Task Force has been working over the last two years to have a better picture of where broadband is and is not, and what the barriers are to accessing reliable, affordable internet.  This funding will help with gathering the information to understand these issues,” said County Board Supervisor Melissa Ratcliff (District 36), Chair of the Broadband Task Force.  

The Dane County Broadband Task Force has been meeting since 2021 and has completed extensive outreach, information gathering, and developed recommendations to expand broadband access in Dane County.  

“Broadband is a very complex issue with a wide variety of stakeholders.  The planning efforts underway will help us continue to understand what is needed to connect as many people as possible with a needed service,” said County Board Supervisor Jeff Glazer (District 8), Vice Chair of the Broadband Task Force.  

The department of Planning and Development will oversee the BEAD planning effort and provide progress and other reporting as required under an agreement to be developed with the fiscal agent, MadREP.