FCC has published potentially inaccurate ….
FCC has published potentially inaccurate coverage data and is relying on individuals to correct it.
“It’s counterproductive to all the things that we’ve tried to do and move forward with,” he said.
Task force members discussed ways of getting the word out, especially to rural citizens, about how to check the FCC maps and challenge any inaccuracies.
Robinson said the task force can also express concerns to county leadership and Wisconsin’s congressional delegation about the accuracy of the maps and the difficulty in challenging them.
“I think it would be in the county’s interest to spend some resources to try to get those maps as accurate as we can,” he said.
Other business
n The task force was updated on the progress of the $25 million Bug Tussel broadband project, which has three towers up and running near Little Chicago, Leather Camp and Bevent. Thirteen other towers are under construction, and eight more are in the zoning or site acquisition stages.
The company’s goal is to have all of the fiber optic cable installed by the end of next summer.
“I think we were hopeful, at one point, that they would be done this year,” Robinson said. “They seem to have slowed down, relative to their construction and installation of conduit and fiber.”
n Task force members reviewed a map of internet speed test results from throughout the county. Robinson said about 2,900 tests have been done, representing about 3.3 percent of the county population, and the results show 56 percent of test takers have less than 25 Mbps in download speeds, and 75 percent have uploads speeds under 25 Mbps.
“There’s probably a skewing on those tests towards people who have poor internet service,” Robinson said. “People with good internet service tend not to take the test.”
The speed test map will help guide the task force as it pursues continued broadband expansion in underserved areas, Robinson said. He also noted that the map is not “all-inclusive,” as it focuses on the Bug Tussel project and other internet service providers that have applied for grants from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
n Robinson said the state recently announced that it has $14.1 million available for broadband expansion grants, which is the lowest amount in years. Applications are due in February.
“It’s enough money to be interested, but not enough to be excited about,” he said.
n Robinson told the task force about the FCC’s “Affordable Connectivity Program”, which provides subsidies to internet service providers on behalf of households that cannot afford internet. He said 11 percent of county residents have identified lack of affordability as the top reason they don’t have internet service, so he thinks the county should do what it can to promote the program.
