Have you heard the good news? Yesterday Governor Doyle announced that Wisconsin is receiving $23 million dollars for broadband expansion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The money will be used in every single one of our 72 counties.
Where exactly will broadband be deployed?
-74 schools
-8 post-secondary schools
-385 libraries
The effects of this grant will surely ripple outwards. Because the selected locations are close to hospitals, police and fire stations, and 125,000 homes, broadband coverage could be easily expanded beyond the project. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Most of the coverage gaps in Wisconsin could be filled in only a few years.”
The struggle for broadband can often be very frustrating, so let’s celebrate this great success for Wisconsin. As Thad Nation, Executive Director of Wired Wisconsin explained, “Expanding internet access – and particularly broadband access – is one of the best ways to foster economic development, support additional educational opportunities, and increase connections between citizens across the state.”
"…broadband coverage could be easily expanded beyond the project."
– Not unless/until competition can be encouraged by reducing the regulation cost of new deployment throughout the state. Many areas are served by a single provider who effectively uses state regulation to prevent start-up competitors from establishing service. In these low density rural markets, where development costs are relatively high, permitting and regulation overhead can represent an effective roadblock to competition. We don't need a subsidy, just freedom from regulation burdens.
Comment by DWink9909 — February 20, 2010 @ 8:58 pm
[...] Blog: Big Victory for Broadband in WI! http://www.wiredwisconsin.org/big-victory-for-broadband-in-wisconsin/ [...]
Pingback by Wired Wisconsin » Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-02-22 — February 22, 2010 @ 1:19 am
I concur, I've read that these regulatory problems even prevent cities and towns from installing public internet services!
Comment by Matt — February 27, 2010 @ 10:36 am