Wis. Assembly to Consider Faster Unserved Definition

The Wisconsin Assembly will weigh broadband law changes (AB-303) Tuesday, the Rules Committee decided Thursday. Earlier that day, the Energy Committee voted 16-0 to amend and advance AB-303. The bill would refocus the state’s broadband expansion grant program on unserved rather than underserved areas. It would update the definition of unserved to include areas with less than 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speeds, allowing the PSC to consider updating that definition every two years. Current state law considers areas with less than 5 Mbps down and 600 Kbps up unserved. Among other new rules, AB-303 would require applicants to participate in the FCC’s affordable connectivity program or a successor program.