Northwoods Communities Are Rooting for Telecommuters

Wisconsin recognizes the tremendous importance of developing the capacity to enable workers to telecommute. After all, telecommuting workers offer higher productivity, have lower turnover, experience increased job satisfaction, and take fewer sick days than full-time on-premises employees. For the Northwoods community, telecommuting also provides a way for the people who love to live here (year-round or seasonally) to stay here longer, even while working for a big-city corporation. In the past, one of the region’s barriers to successful support of telecommuters has been limited access to high-speed internet. But the state and local governments are dedicated to recognizing and overcoming these barriers in a number of ways.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin will award up to $24 million in Broadband Expansion Grants during Fiscal Year 2020 to promote communities’ dedication to broadband expansion.

Broadband Forward! Community Certification

The PSC awards the Broadband Forward! Community Certification to communities that have proven to have taken steps to bring down barriers to investment in broadband infrastructure. Here are the Broadband Forward! Certified Communities in our region:

• Village of Kronenwetter (Marathon County)
• Town of Russell (Bayfield County)
• Town of Land O’ Lakes (Vilas County)
• Town of Stephenson (Marinette County)
• Town of King (Lincoln County)
• Polk County
• Town of St. Croix Falls (Polk County)
• Town of Trade Lake (Burnett County)
• Town of West Sweden (Polk County)
• Sawyer County
• Washburn County
• Town of Athelstane (Marinette County)
• Bayfield County
• Town of Presque Isle

Telecommuter Forward! Community Certification

The PSC awards the Telecommuter Forward! Community Certification to communities that have demonstrated their commitment to promoting the availability of telecommuting options. Here are the Telecommuter Forward! Certified Communities in our region:

• Bayfield County
• Iron County
• Florence County
• Town of La Pointe (Madeline Island, Ashland County)
• Polk County
• Town of Boulder Junction (Vilas County)
• Price County

The continual improvements in high-speed internet access in northern Wisconsin—combined with the bountiful natural attractions and activities, the friendly and laidback lifestyle, and a lower cost of living than that of large cities—make this region an excellent choice for telecommuters. To learn more about Wisconsin PSC’s broadband expansion efforts, visit https://psc.wi.gov/Pages/Programs/TelecommuterForward.aspx.

This article is adapted from an article published on 5 Star’s real estate, home improvement, and relocation website, upnorthhomeshowcase.com, on October 11, 2019. You can read the original article here.