January 29, 2014 — TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®) announces parts of four American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus-funded broadband Internet projects are now accessible to customers. This includes residents and businesses in parts of Idaho, Washington, and Wisconsin. Construction on all four stimulus-funded projects is expected to wrap-up this spring.
In Wisconsin, there are two projects that, once complete will provide about 1,750 residents access to high-speed Internet service. TDS’ Central State Telephone Company project, around Cranmoor and parts of Marathon, Portage, Clark, Jackson, Wood, and Juneau counties will provide about 1,400 customers with Internet access. In this area, about 28 miles of fiber optics cabling is being installed and 26 cabinets (which protect the advanced network electronics) are being placed to connect more residents and businesses.
The second Wisconsin project, around Stockbridge in TDS’ Stockbridge & Sherwood Telephone Company exchange, has about 12 miles of fiber optics cabling being installed and 10 cabinets being placed. This will provide high-speed Internet access to about 350 residents around Stockbridge as well as Tisch Mills and Zander.
In Idaho, about 300 residents around Kendrick, which is part of TDS’ Potlatch Telephone Company, will gain access to high-speed Internet service. About 20 miles of fiber optics cabling is being installed and 13 cabinets are being placed as part of this project.
TDS’ stimulus-funded project in Washington includes the installation of about 10 miles of fiber optics cabling and six cabinets. Once complete, about 600 residents around Onalaska and Salkum, Wash., as part of TDS’ McDaniel Telephone Company, will gain access to high-speed Internet service.
TDS will notify customers when service is accessible; customers may also call 888-225-5837 to sign up.
TDS is receiving funding for 44 projects, including these four projects, from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) as part of the ARRA.
Nationwide, more than 95 percent of TDS customers already have access to high-speed Internet service. TDS is intent on providing as many remaining customers with broadband connectivity as possible. According to TDS, federal stimulus funds are helping to close the gap and deliver Internet connectivity to more than 27,000 customers.
For background information and updates, visit www.tdstelecom.com/stimulus.
