TDS awarded $2 Million in Wisconsin Broadband Access Grants

TDS Telecom (TDS^®), a Madison, Wisconsin-based communications company, was awarded $2.032 million in funding for broadband expansion projects in two Wisconsin communities. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin selected 83 projects from 242 applications utilizing $100 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to bring faster internet speeds to unserved and underserved areas in the state.

“TDS is pleased to receive support for these worthwhile projects and we look forward to bringing fiber-fast internet services to the homes and businesses in these communities” said Drew Petersen, senior vice president of Corporate Relations.

TDS was awarded a grant of $943,333 for a project in Potosi in southwest Wisconsin and a second grant of $1,088,791 in Necedah. In all, the two fiber-optic internet projects will help deliver high-speed internet services to hundreds of homes in rural Wisconsin.

“I want to thank the commissioners for identifying these areas as essential for broadband expansion,” said Petersen. “However, even with today’s grants, too many areas of Wisconsin still don’t have adequate internet; more public and private investments will be needed.”

The next step in the grant process will be executing grant agreements with the state. Under the program parameters, the projects will need to be completed by December 31, 2024. TDS plans to begin construction on the fiber networks as early as next spring.