Broadband

St. Croix County is working to provide better access to broadband for the residents of our County. 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.

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

Learn More About the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

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 not intended for fiber drops (road to house fiber fee). To qualify, applicants must live in an unserved or underserved area in St. Croix County with no fiber options and service delivery must have the capability of 100MB service. Eight residents of our County were awarded the Connectivity Assistance Grant for a total of $4,000. 

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

About this grant

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.

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: