Broadband planning is a key component of the work of the Wisconsin Broadband Office, as well as other stakeholders such as internet service providers, local communities, UW-Madison Extension, and more. Broadband planning can happen at many levels and include local, state, and federal officials, as well as public and private entities. Local coordination and community planning are essential to ensuring that new investments meet the community goals and broadband needs.
Key Steps to Planning
Key steps to community broadband planning can include:
- Learning the basics of broadband including the various deployment technologies such as fiber, cable, fixed wireless, etc.
- Identifying local broadband ‘champions’ and creating a team, committee, or Task Force.
- Crafting goals and a community vision.
- Understanding current broadband availability, locating gaps, and identifying assets in your community using
maps, data, surveys, and more.
- Building partnerships with internet service providers, other neighboring communities, and entities such as economic development professionals, school districts, libraries, or health care providers.
- Leveraging available funding including the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL),
state broadband grants, local community matching dollars, and more.
- Emphasizing
digital equity components such as affordability and adoption of broadband services
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)
BIL provides $65 billion to connect all Americans to high-speed broadband internet that is affordable and reliable. Within BIL there are several programs that support broadband planning, infrastructure, and adoption. States will administer funding under the Broadband Equity, Access, & Deployment Program (BEAD) program and Digital Equity Act (DEA) programs.
Planning Resources
Below you will find curated resources that communities may use when planning for broadband development and digital inclusion activities.
General Guidebooks and Resources
Broadband Expansion: What Are the Essential Components?: The Pew Trusts’ Broadband Access Initiative has collected resources on the basic elements of bringing high-speed internet to the nation.
Community Broadband Planning Playbook: The North Carolina playbook provides the tools needed to help communities expand broadband access in their communities. It uses functional resources to help identify your current broadband needs, take stock of your available assets, strengths and weaknesses, establish goals, and create and implement policies that will help your community achieve its vision for the future.
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Federal Funding Guide: The Federal Funding site connects to funding opportunities that support broadband planning, digital inclusion, and deployment projects. The site allows users to filter programs by Agency/Department, Eligible Recipients, and/or Program Purpose.
NTIA Tribal Broadband Planning Toolkit: This toolkit provides tribal entities with the guidance, knowledge, and resources to design, implement, and maintain a broadband plan in their communities.
Accelerate: A Community Broadband Planning Program: The Accelerate community broadband planning program educates and supports community leadership teams as they create their community’s broadband vision and goals and pursue the best possible broadband solutions for their area. The planning program includes links to curriculum, videos, and how-to-get-it done resources.
Connecting Wisconsin: A Broadband Toolkit for Rural Economic Development: The Office of Rural Prosperity toolkit aims to help economic development professionals and planners in Wisconsin by providing a foundation for developing broadband infrastructure. It identifies key partners and resources to support communities at both local and regional levels, and assists in creating tailored solutions to meet the specific needs of Wisconsin's rural regions.
Broadband Toolkit: This UW Extension toolkit prepares Wisconsin communities to increase broadband access for all by engaging local stakeholders in the planning process and developing a comprehensive implementation strategy. The Toolkit is designed to provide flexibility to users- it can be utilized either sequentially, by starting at the beginning and working through each module in order, or by choosing individual modules based on specific needs.
Digital Equity and Inclusion
The Digital Inclusion Startup Manual: The Digital Inclusion Start-Up Manual is intended to provide guidance to organizations looking to increase access and use of technology in disadvantaged communities through digital literacy training, affordable home broadband, affordable devices, and tech support.
Maps and Data
Wisconsin Broadband Map
This website displays statewide internet access as declared by internet service providers through data collections by the PSC and Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Wisconsin Grant Footprint
This mapping tool provides a look at the impact of broadband grant projects statewide. Users can search for grants in their area of interest by performing an address search and navigating the map.
Wisconsin Internet Self Report (WISER)
WISER is an internet survey and speed test that will be used to advise Wisconsin's broadband planning efforts. We are open to partnering with communities to make locally focused surveys using WISER as a guide.
NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need: NTIA’s Indicators of Broadband Need map uses several different data sources to show information on broadband availability within the United States. Layers in this map were created using data sourced from the American Community Survey collected by the U.S. Census, Ookla, Measurement Lab (M-Lab), Microsoft, and the FCC.
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