Frustrated by the lack of telecom and broadband services, many municipalities and small towns in Wisconsin are looking to take their broadband future in their own hands. Here is an update from Madison.com
bq. The Sun Prairie Water & Light utility is providing wireless Internet service and also has hooked up a few businesses directly to its high-speed fiber-optic system. Customers served total about 450, according to utility manager Larry Bocock.
bq. Waupaca now provides wireless Internet service to about 200 residential and business customers from a 192-foot tower built for about $100,000.
bq. Jackson: The 5,500-person village of Jackson, near West Bend, wants to build a wholesale broadband platform that private companies could pay to use to offer telecommunication services.
bq. Reedsburg Utility Commission has built a $6 million fiber loop, with the money to be repaid from resulting revenues.