West Central Wisconsin Broadband Alliance Wins Regional Impact Award

Momentum West has awarded the West Central Wisconsin Broadband Alliance with the 2023 Regional Impact Award for helping bridge the digital divide in rural Wisconsin. A coalition of civic leaders, service providers, and community members under the coordination of Chris Straight and Cliff Albertson have been collaborating to address the broadband gaps in the West Central region. With funding from The State of WI and some federal awards, community based broadband service providers with community support were able to address the critical communication holes in these areas.

"The work that Chris and Cliff have done has allowed the region to take the lead in grant volume and creative collaborative solutions to help fill the broadband gaps," said Steve Jahn, Executive Director of Momentum West. "Their efforts are vital to helping these communities have greater access to higher education, improved health outcomes, better economic opportunity, increased quality of life all because of better broadband access."

The West Central Wisconsin Broadband Alliance is a volunteer-supported collaboration of business, educational, governmental, non-profit, and citizen partners who meet regularly to advocate for broadband expansion and adoption. The Alliance grew out of a 2010-2011 regional planning effort coordinated by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Alliance members have continued to meet regularly since 2011 to advance broadband investment, connect resources and partners, share lessons learned, and provide a roadmap to help unserved and underserved areas get the broadband service they need.

"A rural digital divide exists that was laid bare during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Cliff Albertson, Consultant for Badger Communications Corporation. "Access to high-speed and affordable broadband is essential to the economy, community growth, and daily living. Without proper broadband access, communities struggle to keep pace in an age of ever-increasing technological dependence and the global marketplace."

The West Central Wisconsin Broadband Alliance is dedicated to advancing its mission of ensuring reliable high-speed internet access to rural communities in the region. Here are its future goals:

• Educate elected officials and the general public about broadband issues, while fostering local broadband champions.
• Continue to engage and unify communities, ISPs, and other partners to address the digital divide.
• Collect and share data on the region's broadband availability and gaps.
• Provide counties and communities with tools to address local broadband needs and seize opportunities.
• Encourage people with remote working jobs to relocate to the region by advancing broadband infrastructure.
• Foster local efforts in broadband affordability, digital equity, and adoption.

"If you are working to improve broadband access or address the digital divide in your community, we invite you to join us, share your experiences, and let's discuss what resources might be available or how we might be able to assist," said Chris Straight, Senior Planner for the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

The Broadband Alliance meets regularly via Zoom; all meetings are open to the public. To stay informed about future meetings and important announcements, join the Alliance's email list at this link. Additional information regarding the Alliance, including Broadband Fact Sheets and a community toolkit, are available at https://www.wcwrpc.org/broadband-planning