Wisconsin Continues to Report $60 Million Gap in BEAD Funding
State officials say they will have to use state funds to connect the remaining 31,000 locations.
July 16, 2026 – Wisconsin is continuing to report a $60 million gap in Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment funding for the state, leaving 31,000 locations unserved in the state.
In the sixth report of the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access released on July 15, the state explained, “The Public Service Commission has also opened the application process for the 2026 Broadband Expansion Grant program that makes $60 million in state funding available to fill in gaps for an estimated 31,000 locations left behind by BEAD.”
The state explained that the 31,000 locations “will not be reached with fiber or fixed wireless under BEAD or prior funding programs. State funding will prioritize fiber deployment where feasible.”
An NTIA spokesperson has pushed back on Wisconsin’s assessment, stating that nearly 25,000 locations the state says are not being covered are already being served through BEAD-funded satellite services and the state risks duplicating federal broadband investments.
Wisconsin says that it is still waiting on $300 million in funding in BEAD nondeployment funds. Gov. Tony Evers (D) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., recently wrote a letter to the NTIA urging them to release the funding because delays have slowed the implementation of the state’s broadband plans.
The state had planned to use nondeployment funds for digital adoption and upskilling. However, the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice issued in June 2024 clawed back these funds, the state said. The termination of the Digital Equity Act by President Trump has also prohibited the state from making awards for the State Capacity Grant program.
