Dunn County Broadband

Mission

The Dunn County Broadband Team serves as a community connector and facilitator working with citizens, businesses, industries, agriculture, units of government, and broadband providers aiding broadband expansion initiatives to increase the availability, delivery, and utilization of broadband services countywide. 

Vision

All Dunn County citizens should have access to affordable broadband that is reliable, fast, and future proof, to support our seniors, students, businesses, and career professionals to participate in school, work, healthcare, entertainment, and society. Broadband for all will grow the Dunn County economy, educate students, and lead to healthy, and more fulfilling life.

 

Current Activities

In March of 2023 The Community resources and Tourism Committee created a broadband taskforce to develop a Broadband plan for Dunn County.  The committee began meeting weekly to begin the planning process. A vision was created for Dunn County Broadband.  The taskforce has been working on creating maps outlining broadband projects in Dunn County and identifying areas of weakness.  In May of 2023 a survey of Dunn County residents will be performed. A postcard survey will be mailed to some residents and an online survey will be available as well.

 

History

  • 2019
    • On April 5, 2019 and as a result of Dunn County’s concerted efforts to promote telecommuting opportunities for existing and new residents, the County was named a Telecommuter Forward! certified community. Telecommuting allows employees to access their work related files online and from home, participate in video chats, and accomplish tasks as quickly as they could in the office.
    • Dunn County will continue to actively work with local Internet Service Providers such as; West Wisconsin Telcom, Mosaic Telecom, and Ntec to ensure that telecommuters have the infrastructure and broadband speeds they need to succeed while working from home. For additional Telecommuter Forward information, please reach out to the designated “Single Point of Contact”, Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.
  • 2016
    • The Dunn County Board (Board) recognized the importance of broadband to our modern economy and concluded broadband should be available throughout the County. In 2016, the Board passed Resolution 58, to strengthen and improve internet access, particularly in the underserved, rural areas of the County.
    • As a result of Resolution 58 the Community, Resources and Tourism Committee commissioned a “gap analysis” study  to gauge the importance of internet access to residents and business and to identify where access to broadband does not exist. The study was conducted by the Dunn County Planning & Land Use Control Division, UW Extension, AKA “The Team” and the Dunn County Economic Development Corporation.