Saturday, April 30, 2016

Expand access to high-speed broadband across the state - Russ Feingold, USA Today Network Wisconsin

Internet access at home is bad. Not just annoyingly slow, but truly bad enough that students can’t complete their schoolwork. So what do students do? Late into the evening, they head to the now-closed library parking lot and sit in their cars to get the Wi-Fi signal. It’s almost hard to believe. But it’s far too common. Just this week, I heard the same thing from students at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College's regional campus in Oconto Falls. Nearly a million Wisconsinites may lack adequate Internet access — access critical for education and commerce in areas outside of larger cities. FCC estimates claim more than half of rural Wisconsinites lack access to broadband. This must change. Rural Wisconsinites deserve the same level of Internet access as those in cities like Madison and Green Bay. How do we make that a reality? http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/04/23/expand-access-high-speed-broadband/83408428/