Dairyland was honored to welcome Secretary Tom Perez, Senior Advisor & Assistant to the President/White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves on Nov. 30 to celebrate Dairyland's nearly $15 million Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant. 

The dignitaries toured Dairyland's newly remodeled System Operations Center before moving to the Frank Linder Service Center for a roundtable with Pierce-Pepin CEO Nate Boettcher, Dairyland Economic Development Manager Jenny Kuderer-Radcliffe, educators, students, farmers and laborers who highlighted how reliable internet access will directly expand opportunity for their communities. 

The roundtable event was recorded and can be viewed here. 

“Connectivity is essential to attract residents and businesses to rural areas,” said Dairyland President & CEO Brent Ridge. “It enables them to work and learn remotely, launch and maintain businesses, utilize telemedicine and ultimately, live life uninhibited by poor or no internet service – like their urban counterparts.” 

Ridge noted that as part of Dairyland’s grant application strategy and the Fiber Deployment Project work scope, Dairyland consciously made the decision to build infrastructure in rural areas that are underserved and have disadvantaged communities. “The nearly $15 million Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Grant we are celebrating today will directly and positively impact a quarter-million rural residents in nine counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.”

For details on the NTIA Middle Mile Broadband Grant, click here.