Gov. Evers, Psc Announce Release of Final Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access Annual Report

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), today announced the release of the final Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access annual report. The 2026 report highlights the work accomplished over the last year and describes the significant improvements made under Gov. Evers’ leadership to improve high-speed internet access, adoption, and affordability in Wisconsin.

“The Task Force’s sixth and final report captures the incredible work we have done over the past several years to close the digital divide in our state and ensure every Wisconsinite has the high-quality, affordable internet they need to succeed in the 21st Century, while also laying the groundwork for future leaders to carry on this important work,” said Gov. Evers. “I am so very proud of all we have accomplished to help hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses get connected, and looking ahead, leaders must continue these efforts to fill gaps, identify ways to support digital skills and affordability programs, and support workforce development efforts to ensure successful broadband deployment for Wisconsin’s kids, students, families, and communities both now and into the future.”

Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration have been working to address the state’s digital divide for years, even as the Wisconsin State Legislature has approved $0 in new state funding for broadband expansion for two consecutive biennial state budgets. Gov. Evers and his administration have done more to expand access to high-speed internet in Wisconsin than any other administration in state history. Since 2019, Gov. Evers has allocated more than $345 million in state and federal funds to expand high-speed internet, including the largest state investment in state history. Thanks to investments directed by the governor and administered by the Evers Administration, more than 410,000 Wisconsin homes and businesses will have access to new or improved high-speed internet.

“Throughout his tenure, Gov. Evers has championed broadband expansion efforts because he understands the essentiality of internet access and the many benefits of closing Wisconsin’s digital divide. Gov. Evers’ leadership on this issue, including the creation of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access, has directly resulted in improved broadband access, adoption, and affordability in our state,” said PSC Chairperson Summer Strand. “The recommendations in the 2026 report build on that strong foundation, especially in the areas of infrastructure investment, public engagement and community partnerships, workforce development, digital skills training, emerging technology readiness, and sustained affordability. As the work to provide access to high-speed internet for all people in Wisconsin continues, I am confident we remain up to the task.”

In 2020, Gov. Evers created the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access through Executive Order #80 to advise the governor and Legislature on broadband actions, policies, and strategies to successfully expand high-speed internet in Wisconsin. Since its inception, the Task Force has brought together a diverse group of members with experience in this field to learn from outside experts, hear from the public, and identify forward-looking broadband policies and initiatives that aim to close the digital divide in the state.

According to the 2026 report, in the last year alone, 97,000 locations received new or improved broadband service that gave them access to 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) download and 20 Mbps upload (“100/20”) or faster internet for the first time. Additionally, Wisconsin saw an expansion of fiber, which has supported both new served locations and upgrades to existing served locations, with a total of 234,000 more locations able to access fiber compared to one year ago. Further, the broadband adoption rate in Wisconsin, meaning the number of households with internet subscriptions, has reached over 93 percent—the highest it has ever been.

The report also describes the status of various state and federal broadband expansion grant programs and identifies that approximately 31,000 locations are currently unserved, with no project in progress. The Task Force made recommendations to help connect the hardest-to-reach locations while also prioritizing internet affordability and adoption efforts.

“I want to thank Gov. Evers for creating this body and for his sustained and unwavering commitment to closing the digital divide across his two terms as governor,” said Task Force Chair Chris Meyer. “This report shows the real progress we have made as a state—and the work still ahead to deliver affordable service to every corner of Wisconsin. It reflects the dedication of Gov. Evers’ Administration, communities, broadband providers, and partners statewide, and I am proud of what we accomplished together.”

In addition, the report also provides a comprehensive list of recommendations to continue building upon the state’s broadband expansion progress to date that focus on key themes, including infrastructure and future proofing, outreach, partnership, and accountability, workforce development, digital skills and sustained affordability, and emerging technologies.

The Task Force’s recommendations to the governor and the Wisconsin State Legislature in its 2026 annual report include, but are not limited to:

• Infrastructure and Future Proofing;
  • Fund additional state broadband expansion program offerings and include incentives for applicants that offer low-cost service plans, open access networks, and future-proof and scalable technology to meet upcoming needs.
• Outreach, Partnership, and Accountability;
  • Increase communication and engagement with policymakers, county and municipal governments, and Tribal Nations on the latest broadband affordability and adoption data; and
  • Learn about their local community needs and gaps to improve broadband adoption and affordability programming.
• Workforce Development;
  • Identify and leverage broadband workforce development programs in Wisconsin to support and address broadband industry workforce needs, such as equipment operators, technicians, inspectors, engineers, electricians, surveyors, locators, trenchers, trucking crews, and laborers.
• Digital Skills and Sustained Affordability; and
  • Identify a sustainable revenue source to establish a broadband affordability program, in the absence of the federal Affordability Connectivity Program, that reduces the cost of a monthly internet service subscription for eligible families.
• Emerging Technology Readiness.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence and broadband deployment technologies, and update digital skills curriculum to incorporate examples and best practices for their safe and effective use to meet the educational, health, and workforce needs in the daily lives of Wisconsinites.

The 2026 report is attached. More information about the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access, including previous reports, can be found on the PSC’s website.

ADDITIONAL EVERS ADMINISTRATION EFFORTS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED INTERNET STATEWIDE

Gov. Evers has long asserted that access to high-speed internet is a necessity, not a luxury, and since 2019, the governor and his administration have been working to expand access to high-speed internet and close the digital divide in Wisconsin. Historic investments of state and federal funds directed by Gov. Evers and his administration, as mentioned above, have reshaped the landscape of broadband availability throughout the state in recent years and have been a major contributor to the accelerated pace of broadband deployment in Wisconsin, including most recently securing funding from the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

In December 2025, the federal government approved Wisconsin’s final BEAD Program proposal, which unlocked over $1 billion in federal investments secured under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Joe Biden. Today, the PSC is currently administering the federally funded BEAD Program.

Although the state has made significant progress under the BEAD Program, critical infrastructure gaps persist due to policy changes and delays at the federal level, and Republicans’ failure in the Legislature to provide additional state funding to address the gaps. For example, the BEAD Program initially prioritized the deployment of best available fiber technology because it provides more reliable service than other broadband technologies, such as unlicensed fixed wireless and satellite.

In June 2025, the Trump Administration issued new program guidance that ultimately resulted in more funding awards to projects that utilize less reliable technologies and infrastructure with shorter useful lives and lower performance speeds than fiber. Additionally, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) continues to delay critical guidance to enable states to utilize their full BEAD funding amounts. Gov. Evers recently wrote a letter to NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth urging action to release this guidance, as well as the full remaining funds allocated to states, including a total over $300 million owed to Wisconsin to support additional broadband deployment, workforce development and training, and broadband adoption and digital upskilling activities.

Despite setbacks in the BEAD Program due to chaos at the federal level, in May, Gov. Evers and the PSC announced $60 million to expand access to high-speed internet in unserved communities through the State Broadband Expansion Grant Program, which is intended to close gaps by reaching locations not served by the federally funded BEAD Program, as well as providing improved broadband service to certain locations in the state.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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