Broadband

St. Croix County is working to provide better access to broadband for the residents of our County. Access to broadband opens new opportunities for employment and education. Here you will find broadband resources and learn what the County has done to improve broadband for residents.

Need help with the monthly cost of broadband services? Check out the Affordable Connectivity Program to see if you qualify and to apply.

  1. We Want Your Feedback

    Your experience with internet matters in Wisconsin! The Wisconsin Broadband Office, in an effort to understand Wisconsinites’ experience with internet, their needs and barriers, and network performance, are encouraging all households to take the Wisconsin Internet Self-Report (WISER) survey. This information will help shape internet planning efforts. Every survey response is important!



    You can also take the survey over the phone by calling 608-261-6026. Or get a paper copy at the St. Croix County Government Center (Hudson) and Services Center (New Richmond).

What have we done so far?

In 2021, St. Croix County contracted with broadband analysts Design Nine and community engagement specialists MSA Professional Services to evaluate the broadband services that exist across the County and recommend strategies to make fast, reliable internet access available to as many households, businesses, and institutions across the County as possible. Here are the results of the study:

After reviewing the broadband study and hearing from residents, the County created two broadband grant programs. One to help Internet Service Providers (ISPs) expand their coverage and another to help residents in unserved or underserved areas find alternative access to quality broadband services.

Provider Matching Grant

St. Croix County’s Broadband Subcommittee reviewed applications for the Provider Matching Grant. The Subcommittee awarded 8 grants for Internet Service Provider (ISPs) to help expand their service to unserved or underserved areas of St. Croix County. Combined these projects will lay 393.8 miles of fiber and provide high speed internet access to 3,482 properties.

Grants were awarded to:

  • Nextgen Broadband – Town of Cylon
  • Nextgen Broadband – Town of Emerald
  • Nextgen Broadband – Town of Erin Prairie
  • Northwest Communications – Town of Richmond
  • Northwest Communications – Town of St. Joseph
  • Northwest Communications – Town of Stanton
  • Northwest Communications – Town of Star Prairie
  • Pierce Pepin Cooperative – Town of Kinnickinnic

 

View the Project Map

The Provider Matching Grant matches up to 25% of project costs for providers to expand broadband access of 100mb service or greater to the residents of St. Croix County. All of the money awarded for this grant was available to the County through the ARPA Relief Funds.

Grant For Residents

The Connectivity Assistance Grant application for residents closed on June 30, 2022. Under the grant, the County reimbursed up-front connection costs, up to $500 for alternative broadband options such as satellite internet for qualified applicants. This grant was for applicants that live in an unserved or underserved area in St. Croix County. Eight residents of our County were awarded the Connectivity Assistance Grant for a total of $4,000. 

Broadband Mapping Project

 The Broadband Mapping Project was approved at the County Board of Supervisors Meeting on June 6, 2023. This project was a recommendation from the County’s Broadband Subcommittee. The project will provide GIS layers of what is in the ground, give accurate speeds of every residence in St. Croix County, what internet service providers are serving what and where, and help predict how long current service will meet market demand. The cost of this project will be covered by a Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant and ARPA funding.