Wisconsin is making $60 million available to expand high-speed internet access in communities that remain unserved or underserved after other state and federal broadband investments.
Gov. Tony Evers and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced the new funding through the 2026 State Broadband Expansion Grant Program, which will support broadband construction projects in areas lacking internet speeds of at least 100 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload.
The grant round is designed to help close remaining service gaps after accounting for locations expected to receive broadband improvements through the federally funded Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program, known as BEAD, and other programs. The Wisconsin Broadband Office estimates that at least 30,000 locations will remain unserved after those projects are removed from the state’s broadband needs list.
Eligible applicants include organizations, telecommunications utilities and local governments, including cities, villages, towns and counties, that partner with telecommunications providers. The funding is intended to connect more homes and businesses to reliable high-speed internet service.
PSC is now accepting applications. Interested entities can learn more about eligibility requirements through the PSC and are encouraged to register for an informational webinar scheduled on June 8.
The funding will come from underspent and returned money from prior state broadband grant rounds, as well as Wisconsin’s Universal Service Fund. The state said the new round is moving forward despite no new broadband expansion funding being approved in the past two state budgets.
Since 2019, Wisconsin has allocated more than $345 million in state and federal funds toward broadband expansion. State officials said those investments are expected to bring new or improved high-speed internet access to more than 410,000 homes and businesses.
The announcement follows federal approval in December 2025 of Wisconsin’s final BEAD proposal, unlocking more than $1 billion in federal broadband investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Construction under the BEAD program is expected to begin in summer 2026.
Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels
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