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Wisconsin Broadband Grant to Help Connect Poplar Residents

A fiber-to-home broadband project in the village of Poplar was one of 24 to be awarded a 2023 State Broadband Expansion Grant. The $523,423 grant for the project will be matched by the ISP overseeing the work.

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(TNS) — High speed Internet is coming to the village of Poplar.

A fiber-to-the-home project that will reach seven businesses and 100 residential locations in Poplar was one of 24 to be awarded a 2023 State Broadband Expansion Grant, according to a news release from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Norvado, an Internet service provider headquartered in Cable, will receive a $523,423 grant for the project and will contribute a matching amount.

The commission received 74 applications for grants requesting a total of $73.5 million. A total of $15.6 million in broadband expansion grants was awarded to the 24 projects statewide, the news release said.

According to Norvado's application, the project area includes downtown Poplar and stretches east along U.S. Highway 2 to Wiehe Road, as well as the area between Douglas County Highway P and Wiehe Road from U.S. Highway 2 to East Middle River Road.

Norvado already has experience in Douglas County. The communications company was awarded a $443,000 Broadband Expansion Grant in 2020 to connect 55 homes and six businesses in the town of Cloverland to high-speed Internet. Residents contacted for various stories, including former Cloverland Town Board Chairman Larry Luostari and Jim Streveler, who ran for a seat on the Maple School Board, have said they're pleased with the Internet upgrade.

"I was certainly happy to get it," said Cloverland Town Clerk Phyllis Massier during a February interview.

Norvado was awarded two other grants for 2023:

  • $522,959 for a fiber project that will bring high-speed Internet to 91 residential locations in the town of Bass Lake in Sawyer County.

  • $446,661 to bring service to two businesses and 47 residential locations in the town of Eileen in Bayfield County.

The communications company will be providing matching dollars for each of the projects, according to the 2023 state broadband expansion grant summary provided by the Wisconsin Broadband Office.

Visit the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin website for more information about state broadband grant programs.

©2023 the Superior Telegram, Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.