Lynxx Networks Awarded $2.18 million for Fiber Broadband Expansion in Juneau County

Camp Douglas, WI – Lynxx Networks℠ has been awarded a $2.18 million grant from the State of Wisconsin to help fund fiber broadband expansion to nearly 900 businesses and homes in the Towns of Lisbon and Lemonweir.
The grant area is located predominately on the east side of I-90 in Mauston, bordered by Welch Prairie Rd./ Meredith Rd. on the north; Cemetery / Emerson roads on the south; and I-90 on the west. The east side of the grant area is bordered by 16th Ave, 47th St., and portions of County Road G, 50th St., and State Road 82. 
The grant project will benefit homes and businesses along 121 miles in large portions of the towns of Lemonweir and Lisbon, along some properties in each of the following: the towns of Germantown, Marion, Mauston, and Lindina. 
The total cost of the fiber expansion project is $5,081,651. Lynxx Networks requested the state cover 43% of the total cost of the project, totaling $2.18 million. The Towns of Lisbon and Lemonweir, along with Juneau County, partnered with Lynxx Networks, pledging a combined total of $700,000 in American Rescue Plan Act Dollars toward the project. Lynxx Networks is contributing the remaining $2.19 million.
Town of Lemonweir Administrator Carin Leach called the grant application a “true joint effort” between the Lynxx Networks team, Juneau County, the town boards in the Towns of Lisbon and Lemonweir, and the residents of the project area. She said the collaboration, “has made high-speed internet a reality to a good portion of our rural area.” 
Lynxx Networks CEO Jim Costello echoed Leach, saying the partnership between the entities involved were key to the success of the grant application. He added that thanks to the feedback from many of the residents in the grant area, the company was able to write a strong application that demonstrated the great need for high-speed, fiber-optic broadband services, while refuting the services that competing providers claim to offer in the area.
“This grant application emphasized the need for better broadband services in this portion of Juneau County for what have become everyday needs – the need to work remotely, access tele-health, utilize remote education opportunities, and run a business.” Costello said.
“The testimonies played a huge role in supplying the content for our grant application, while our team went the extra mile,” Costello said of the extensiveness of the work and research that went into the grant application. 
Representative Tony Kurtz and Senator Howard Marklein represent the grant area at the state level, and both wrote letters in support of the grant application. 
“Broadband access is critical for our communities; I am proud of the investments the Legislature has made in the Broadband Expansion Grant program, which helps residents throughout Wisconsin stay connected with loved ones and services important for their health and wellbeing,” said Rep. Kurtz.
He added, “I am grateful to Lynxx for expanding services in Juneau County and that they were selected as a grant recipient to help make the project possible.”
Like Leach and Costello, Marklein emphasized the collaboration that brought the grant from application to funded. 
“Many thanks to the leadership of Lynxx Networks and the collaboration with local stakeholders who make this project happen,” he said, adding, “it takes hard work and dedication to expand rural broadband! Since 2014, we have continuously worked to expand broadband into the most rural parts of Wisconsin. I am very glad to see this investment making a difference in Juneau County.” 
Construction on this fiber project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2023.
Residents and businesses in the grant area can sign up to receive e-mail communication regarding the fiber project, including project updates and when and how to apply for service. 
Information will also become available on the company’s website, www.getlynxx.com, and social media platforms. 

###

About Lynxx Networks℠ - Broadband Provider
Lynxx Networks, together with its subsidiaries, 3RT Networks and Bahr Electric, is the area’s premier fiber-optic internet service provider, delivering unparalleled internet, voice, IT, and electrical service to the region. Learn more by visiting www.getlynxx.com