Walker tours state, unveiling $35.5-million bill to bring internet to rural Wisconsin

Walker and the Public Service Commission chair were in La Crosse talking of the plan.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has proposed a new, $35.5-million bill that would bring broadband internet to rural parts of the state.

Walker says the plan would match federal money to establish fiber optic networks in remote areas.  

Expanding internet access is a big goal for the governor. To demonstrate that, Walker and Public Service Commission chair Ellen Nowak toured the state Wednesday, including La Crosse.

Walker said the state generally will remove itself from broadband projects, once funding and connections are established.

“We don’t play a role running it,” Walker said. “It’s very cost effective. They can run it just as easy out to a farm as they can run it here in the city, once the fiber network is down.”

Nowak said that since the program, which gets federal money, began in 2013, the state has helped 600 businesses and 20,000 homes get internet service that they otherwise didn’t have.

In Minnesota, 16,000 households and many businesses will get broadband grants. The state passed $34 million in funding last year.