Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1303108
42 | I NSIGH T • N o v e m b e r 2 0 2 0 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m 2 Insight on Technology November 2020 D avid Thiel doesn't have to look far to see the effects of poor access to broadband in his county. As the pandemic took hold last spring and forced schools statewide to close, families in rural and less densely popu lated areas faced added hardship. Not long after schools closed, Thiel, who serves as executive director of the Waupaca Cou nt y E conom ic Deve lopment Cor p., received a call for help from Clintonville P ubl ic S c hool Di str ict Super i ntendent David Dyb. "They literally had families driving into the school's parking lot to pick up homework for their kids," Thiel says. Rura l school districts statewide have been struggling during a time when students and families are increasingly relying on technology to connect with teachers and complete schoolwork, Thiel says. WCEDC is addressing the broadband issue in a couple of ways. The state recently added construction of broadband towers to serve low- to moderate-income residents to its list of projects eligible for funds from the Community Development Block Grant- CLOSE program. T h ie l hop e s t o u s e t ho s e f u nd s t o constr uct broadband towers. The City of Waupaca could use its ISP partner, Waupaca Online, to offer ser vice to lower income i nd iv idu a l s. I n add it ion, WCE DC h a s |applied for a grant through the state's Broadband Expansion Grant program. Ac c e s s t o r e l i a b l e a n d a f fo r d a b l e broadba nd h a s long bee n a n i ssue for certain parts of the state, but the pandemic created a n even more u rgent need to address the problem. More than ever before, the internet has become a needed conduit for home sc ho ol i ng, te le med ic i ne a nd remote work. "People live all over, and we have very rural parts of our region. Companies are telling us it's been challenging for them to connect," says Barb LaMue, president and CEO of New North, Inc. "The need has always been there, but the times that we're living through, it's been obviously heightened." Virtual meetings and online learning will continue even after society finds its way to a new normal, LaMue says. Beyond that, telehealth is becoming increasingly important, especially in rural areas that may have less access to routine or specialist care. Reliable coverage also is important for business attraction and tourism. For its part, New North. has submitted a grant to the federal Economic Development Administration. T he grant would allow New North to bring in personnel from t he te lecom mu n ic at ion s i ndu st r y to identify connectivity gaps and provide recommendations for addressing those. T he broadband maps that exist right now a re i n acc u rate, L a Mue s ays. To determine coverage in areas, the P ublic Service Commission of Wisconsin looks at census tracts. If one person has access to affordable broadband in an area, everyone in that tract is noted as having it, leading to a less-than-accurate picture. Mar y Kohrell, community economic development director for Calumet County, says that's the case in her county, where a map might show an area is served but people who live there say service is inadequate. She's also concerned about the quality and reliability of internet access within High Cliff State Park and Calumet County Park. "Long story short, there are still plenty of service gaps in this county as well as in much of Northeast Wisconsin," Kohrell says. L a Mue says t he New Nor t h project would give each county a blueprint that could help it more effectively engage with Critical connection Issue of broadband access becomes more pressing than ever B Y J E S S I C A T H I E L telecom providers and allow them to look at i ncentives needed to entice companies to invest in less- populated areas where the business case to do so is weaker. In addition, it will better position communities to go after implementation grants for laying fiber or erecting towers. "Our region is going to be ready to say, we know exactly what we need and this is what it's going to take to get it done," she says. State grants can help Jaron McCallum, state broadband d i rector for t he P ubl ic S er v ice Commission of Wisconsin, says t he Fe de r a l C om mu n i c at ion s C om m i ssion completes a n nu a l broadband reports and estimates about 7.1 percent of the population, or 410,000 individuals, lacks access to broadband with speeds of 25 megabytes per second download and 3Mbps upload, compared to the national average of 5.6. McCallum says those estimates are probably on the low end and that many of those 410,000 individuals live in rura l areas. Beyond that, affordability is an issue in both rural and urban areas, he says. Several barriers stand in the way of deploying affordable broadband, but McC a l lu m poi nt s fi rst a nd foremost to dereg u lation of the telecommunications industry and