Posted on fdlreporter.com on May 4th at 9 pm. Story by Justin Kabbes. The county’s rural wireless Internet project is almost complete, says County Executive Allen Buechel. Eight towers have been built and are functioning, one is near completion, and two more in St. Peter and Mt. Calvary are scheduled to be finished by mid-summer, he said. The company also leases space on county public safety towers. The project is designed to provide high-speed wireless broadband service to areas that have been under-served or had no service. In November 2012, the Fond du Lac County Board approved a resolution to work with Bug Tussel Wireless, a subsidiary of Hilbert Communications, and Adams County to leverage Midwest Disaster Area Recovery Bonds for broadband tower infrastructure build-out in the two counties. In exchange for the financial assistance, the county’s public safety agencies will be able to use the towers to communicate among each other. Although the county hasn’t utilized the towers yet, they will be essential in the future as the digital data needs for emergency responders increase. “There’s a lot more data that needs to go out and there’s just a need for more towers to get it out to where you need it to be,” Buechel said. According to its website, Bug Tussel offers wireless Internet packages ranging from $24.99 for 512 kbps to $64.99 for 4 mbps. The coverage area spans across many rural areas in south central Wisconsin. The coverage goes as far east as Calumet County and as far west as rural areas near Wisconsin Dells, and includes parts of rural Fond du Lac County. Hilbert Communications is not targeting heavily-populated communities that already have good service. Buechel said the company plans to upgrade its towers to offer faster service in the future, although the speeds have yet to be determined. The Fond du Lac County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in September 2012 to move forward with steps to help Hilbert Communications secure financing for the project. The county would guarantee its portion of the project up to $3.35 million. At the time of the resolution, the chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Reed Hall, said the lack of adequate broadband service in some areas of Wisconsin was limiting the state's business opportunities. Fond du Lac County farmers and other businessmen in rural areas expressed a need for good service, he said. For more about rural Internet plans, visit www.bugtusselwireless.com. Contact Justin Kabbes at (920) 907-7925 or at [email protected].
