The state of Wisconsin announced broadband funding awards totaling $16.6 million today. Winners include Charter, TDS Telecom, Frontier and 21 other service providers.
Many of the other providers were smaller local companies, including Washington Island Electric Cooperative, which was the biggest winner and is slated to receive $2.5 million. The company also will invest over $2.8 million of its own in the fiber broadband project.
Charter/Spectrum Mid-America was the second largest winner and will receive over $2.4 million for a fiber broadband project, toward which the company will contribute additional funding of nearly $3.7 million.
Charter’s CEO said today that the company has won funding from state broadband and similar funding programs to bring broadband to 260,000 locations.
All companies winning funding will cover at least half of project costs from their own resources. Matching funds total over $25.3 million, according to a press release.
All funding winners plan to deploy fiber broadband.
TDS, Frontier and Local Companies
TDS Telecom/Farmers Telephone Company was awarded over $1.5 million for a project impacting 11 towns. The company will contribute additional funding exceeding $6.2 million to project costs.
Frontier was awarded $500,000 for a project to which the company will contribute an additional $2.7 million.
According to today’s press release, the state of Wisconsin has awarded $345 million to expand broadband.
Awards were made through the Broadband Expansion Grant Program. A complete list of funding winners is available at this link.
