FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2023
PSC Asks Wisconsin Households to Share Internet Experience to
Improve Broadband Access and Affordability
WISER tool will help inform ongoing broadband planning efforts
MADISON – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) is calling on Wisconsin households to share their internet experience to help direct recently announced broadband funding. On June 26, 2023, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that Wisconsin will receive more than $1 billion under the ‘Internet for All’ Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) Program to connect every unserved home and business in the state to broadband internet.
In an effort to inform the state's internet planning efforts, the PSC is encouraging all Wisconsin households to take the Wisconsin Internet Self-Report (WISER) survey by July 14, 2023.
“To get everyone connected, we need good data that tells us where people can use broadband and where there are barriers. WISER is a tool available to us to show where help is needed,” said PSC Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq. “The short time it takes to complete the easy-to-use WISER survey will go a long way toward helping us understand and fix the barriers and achieve internet for all.”
WISER is a survey with a speed test that is designed to capture customers’ experience with internet service. The data collected from WISER will help the PSC’s Wisconsin Broadband Office (WBO) understand a variety of broadband needs, and support internet adoption for Wisconsin residents by identifying areas where the internet is not available, too expensive, underperforming, or too complex to subscribe. The survey is confidential and only takes minutes to complete.
- For households with internet access, the WISER survey can be found online at maps.psc.wi.gov/apps/WISER. If taking the online survey, residents should use a computer or Wi-Fi at home, instead of using mobile data.
- Those without internet access or who only access the internet through cellphone data plans, please call 608-261-6026 to take the survey by phone with the assistance of a dedicated PSC team member.