Jackson County continues to seek funding to improve internet access for residents. A funding application
was submitted to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission in November.
The Broadband Work Group has been collaborating with Brightspeed for several months to design a
fiber-to-the-premise project serving residents in parts of Adams, Albion, Manchester and MIllston. This
project would bring minimum speeds of 200/200 to 626 locations. Total project cost is estimated at
$3.14 million. The grant request is for $1.65 million. It was one of 224 applications requesting over
$221 million – only $43 million is available, so this will be a very competitive process.
Funding decisions will be announced in Spring, 2024.
“Access to broadband is vital for the economic health and growth of our area,” stated Jeff Amo, Chair,
Jackson County Board of Supervisors. “The Jackson County Broadband workgroup is continuing to reach
out to internet service providers and Town governments to plan for additional rounds of grant funding
to fill gaps in service.”
Jackson County partnered Tri-County Communications on a successful grant-funded project for the
Town of Alma, and with Bug Tussel on a successful 2022 grant application to build a fiber backbone in
the County. The Alma project has been completed and the Bug Tussel project has finished laying
conduit and fiber in the eastern part of the County and will complete western work in 2024.
“This is another step in a long process to upgrade broadband access in Jackson County,” stated
Marianne Torkelson member of the Jackson County Broadband Workgroup. “These grants are highly
competitive. It will take several grant applications to meet the needs of everyone, but with community
support we will be successful.”
Information on progress can be found on the Jackson County website at https://www.co.jackson.wi.us/
From the top menu, click on “Broadband”. Check out the link to “Broadband Slide Show – 11/2023”
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