Gov. Evers, U.S. Sen. Baldwin Send Joint Letter to NTIA Urging Immediate Action to Release Critical Guidance and Funding to Support High-Speed Internet Expansion Efforts Statewide
“Thanks to our efforts as a state, including approving the largest state investment in broadband in Wisconsin’s history, more than 410,000 homes and businesses will have access to new or improved internet service, and when the federal government jumpstarted this work with the BEAD program to help states get even more folks connected, our agency leaders got right to work,” said Gov. Evers. “Our partners at the Public Service Commission have followed BEAD deployment efforts by the book, and when the Trump Administration moved the goal post for accessing critical funds, the state did not hesitate in its work to adapt our approach. As a result of our efforts and flexibility, Wisconsin was awarded more than $1 billion through BEAD last year. Yet, here we are again, unable to move forward with plans the federal government has approved due to unexplained delays. This has to stop, and we are asking the Trump Administration to end this confusion expeditiously.”
“Affordable, accessible broadband is essential for Wisconsinites to connect with loved ones, do their homework, meet with doctors, and operate their businesses. That’s why I fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and worked with Gov. Evers to deliver over $1 billion to ensure communities in every corner of the state have the high-speed internet they deserve,” said U.S. Sen. Baldwin. “This process has already taken far too long, and the continued, unexplained delays and confusion caused by the Trump Administration are preventing us from getting more Wisconsinites online. We are calling on President Trump to release the remaining funds to Wisconsin immediately.”
Expanding high-speed internet and closing the digital divide in Wisconsin has been a top priority for Gov. Evers and Sen. Baldwin. Since 2019, the Evers Administration has allocated more than $345 million in state and federal funds to expand high-speed internet, including the largest state investment in Wisconsin’s history. Thanks to these investments, more than 410,000 homes and businesses will have new or improved broadband services. In addition, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included historic investments in broadband expansion via the BEAD program, championed by Sen. Baldwin.
Last December, Gov. Evers announced that the federal government had approved Wisconsin’s final BEAD program proposal, the last major milestone in the state’s efforts to expand high-speed internet statewide through the federal program, unlocking over $1 billion in federal investments secured under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). As approved by NTIA, the awards will provide funding to serve all BEAD-eligible locations throughout the state, with support from more than $397 million in matching funds provided by recipients. Funding will also support high-speed fiber internet services at Community Anchor Institutions such as schools, libraries, and local government and educational facilities.
Created under the BIL, which was approved by Sen. Baldwin and passed by the U.S. Congress in 2021, Gov. Evers and his administration have engaged in robust outreach and planning efforts to continue to expand internet service through the implementation of the BEAD Program. The Evers Administration’s proposal aims at expanding access to high-speed internet to more than 175,000 homes and businesses across the state, building upon Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration’s efforts to close the digital divide.
Additionally, this letter comes as, in February, Gov. Evers and Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Summer Strand celebrated more than $56 million that was awarded as part of the BEAD program to the Sokaogon Chippewa Community to help expand broadband to thousands of homes across Florence, Forest, and Marinette counties, emphasizing the impact, reach, and importance of these federal funds.
Since the significant restructuring of the BEAD Program commenced by the Trump Administration in 2025, the state of Wisconsin and many Wisconsin broadband stakeholders have actively participated in NTIA’s listening sessions on the use of BEAD savings funds. The state anticipated that NTIA would release the aforementioned non-deployment guidance by the March 11, 2026, deadline established by President Trump’s Executive Order “Ensuring A National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” However, a month has passed since this deadline, and this guidance has yet to be released, threatening progress on Wisconsin’s planned and intended uses for BEAD non-deployment funding, which are critical to the overall success of the program.
A transcript of Gov. Evers and U.S. Sen. Baldwin’s letter to NTIA Administrator Roth is available by clicking link.