Governor seeks local applications for broadband grants

Gov. Scott Walker announced the state Public Service Commission is now accepting applications for Fiscal Year 2016 Broadband Expansion Grants. Walker’s 2013–15 state budget tripled the local grants to extend broadband to underserved areas of the state more quickly.

Walker established the program, which provides reimbursement for equipment and construction expenses incurred to extend or improve broadband telecommunications service throughout the state, in the 2011–13 biennial state budget. The recently-passed 2015–2017 state budget triples the total amount of grants to be awarded each year from $500,000 to $1,500,000.

The budget also included changes to increase the impact of the grants — by including consideration of projects that are “scalable,” and giving the PSC more flexibility in its execution of the grants throughout a given biennium.

Applications for the Broadband Expansion Grants for Fiscal Year 2016 are due September 30, 2015.

Application instructions and additional information may be found at: http://psc.wi.gov/utilityInfo/tele/broadband/grants/bbGrantApplicationPage.htm.