Press Release Gov. Evers, WEDC, PSC Announce $100,000 Grant to Assist Drone-based Broadband to Serve Students in Eagle River
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) announced the WEDC will provide a $100,000 Capacity Building Grant to the Forest County Economic Development Partnership for a pilot program testing a tethered, drone-based system to provide high-speed internet in rural areas. A key part of that test kicks off today with the announcement of a partnership between Wisconsin TeleLift and the Northland Pines School District. The six-month project will use Wisconsin TeleLift’s tethered drone platforms fitted with cell phone towers to provide high-speed internet access to the roughly 10 percent of district students who currently have none.