Progress Lakeshore and Wisconsin Broadband Office are encouraging all households to take the Wisconsin Internet Self-Report survey. This information will help shape the state’s and Manitowoc County’s internet planning efforts.
Progress Lakeshore, through a memorandum of understanding with Manitowoc County, is coordinating the local efforts for the New North Broadband Alliance project. The purpose of the regional project is to provide reports for inclusion in Wisconsin Public Service Commission Broadband Office Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan as part of the Federal Bi-Partisan Infrastructure BEAD Program.
It was just announced that the program has $1.06 billion to distribute in Wisconsin.
As part of this project, WISER is an online survey with a speed test. It is designed to capture the complexity of residents’ experience with internet service or lack thereof (e.g., service quality, cost burden, and more) so Progress Lakeshore and the Wisconsin Broadband Office can accurately understand a variety of broadband needs. The survey is confidential and the number of responses will be visualized in an online mapping tool. The WISER survey is available online HERE or via phone by calling 608-261-6026.
“Our team is committed to improving Wisconsin’s internet planning efforts, because we want to see Wisconsin businesses and households close the digital divide. Survey and speed test participation is critical to our planning efforts because these data points allow us to better understand how people use the internet, what challenges they experience, and any barriers to internet adoption. Without this information, we are more limited in our planning and strategic efforts,” said Alyssa Kenney, State Broadband and Digital Equity Director at the Wisconsin Broadband Office within the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
“Progress Lakeshore and the Wisconsin Broadband Office are committed to understanding communities’ internet needs and providing this essential service to enable participation in our increasingly digital society, for the economic growth and prosperity of our state and local community. We are happy to be collaborating with our county leaders on this important project,“ said Jamie Zastrow, Executive Director of Progress Lakeshore.
Households in Manitowoc County can contact Progress Lakeshore for more information about the survey
