The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is encouraging eligible organizations to apply for grant funding to improve the availability of telecommunications services for Wisconsin residents.
The grant funding opportunities include the Nonprofit Access Grant, the Lifeline Outreach Grant and the Telemedicine Grant. All three grant programs are funded by the Universal Service Fund to help Wisconsin residents get essential and advanced telecommunications services.
“Ensuring equitable access to telecommunications services is a core element of our work at the PSC. We have seen tremendous success in recent years to get more Wisconsinites connected because of programs like these,” said Chairwoman Rebecca Cameron Valcq. “With many different organizations and institutions eligible for these funding opportunities, we all can contribute to improved telecommunications access in our state.”
The Nonprofit Access Grant provides grant funding to nonprofit organizations to facilitate affordable access to essential telecommunications services, including internet access, for low-income households and people with disabilities. This round of the Nonprofit Access Grant will have again a two-year performance period. The commission may award a total of $500,000 in grants under this program. Applications are due at 1:30 p.m. on March 7.
The Lifeline Outreach Grant improves participation in the Lifeline Program, which helps address affordability challenges by providing a discount on essential telecommunications services for low-income customers. The Lifeline Outreach Grant is currently organized under two program goals: outreach and education, and research and resource.
Nonprofit organizations, community-based agencies, institutions of higher education, local and tribal governments are eligible. The commission may award up to $250,000 in grants under the Lifeline Outreach Program. The application period closes at 1:30 p.m. on March 19.
The Telemedicine Grant Program provides funding to help certain nonprofit medical clinics and hospitals or public health agencies purchase medical telecommunications equipment that will promote technologically advanced medical services, enhance access to medical care in rural or underserved areas of the state, to underserved populations, or to persons with disabilities. The commission may award a total of $1 million in grants under this program. The application period opens Feb. 8 and closes at 1:30 p.m. on April 2.
All applications must be submitted through the PSC’s Grants System. Directions on using the PSC Grants System to submit applications are provided in the application instructions for each program.
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