Don Mowry has had fiber internet service in Eau Claire County since 2007. “I’ve always taken it for granted,” he said.

As he started canvassing households when he ran for the Eau Claire county board in 2018, however, he realized that not everybody had high-speed internet. Poor internet wasn’t the only thing hampering communication: telephone service could be equally inconsistent. One person even reported calling 911 and getting a busy signal.

Mowry was shocked that essential communication was so difficult for many of his neighbors. “I’m a social worker,” he said. “I think it’s a human right. I think it’s even more basic than a public utility, and everyone should have access.”

He had unexpectedly found a calling: working to bring affordable broadband access to homes and businesses across Eau Claire County.

As a professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Mowry sees broadband as a social justice issue. Through his career, he’s worked to fill unmet needs, from global service to Hmong mutual assistance, improving first-year college student experiences and planning efforts throughout the Eau Claire region.

Mowry invited the county board chair to Brunswick to meet owners of a recording studio and of a photography business who couldn’t work effectively due to lack of broadband. The small business owners’ perspectives convinced the chair of the need for improved internet access in the county. In 2019, the Eau Claire broadband committee formed with Mowry as chair.

“We got to work,” Mowry said. “We got everybody to the table. We had people there from cooperatives, from internet service providers, from education, medical, and rural libraries, and we sat down to work. We had lots of ideas, but no money, absolutely no money.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, internet access suddenly became essential to almost everyone. The federal government responded: the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) included $25 billion for broadband across the country, part of a roughly $90-billion investment administered by the Pres. Joe Biden administration following Congressional passage of major legislation, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.

In Wisconsin, much of this federal investment has been funneled through state programs and agencies, via the Public Service Commission. “We’ve been very successful,” Mowry said. “ARPA has really helped us make sure that we reach the whole county and everyone. We’re trying for border-to-border access to high-speed internet.”

Broadband investment has been piecemeal, with each new rollout of funds plugging service holes in smaller and harder-to-serve areas. Mowry, along with other advocates, is now working to help internet service providers recognize both the power and incentive they have to expand access. By applying for funding to reach the most challenging homes, ISPs stand to benefit from long-term, committed users. 

“We have 99.2 percent of households served with high-speed internet in the county,” Mowry said.

Access is more than just a hookup, however. It means devices, affordable subscriptions, and access to training in digital skills. Mowry is active in United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley’s digital inclusion campaign, including the distribution of more than 250 low-cost, recycled devices. The “digital navigators” program pairs college student volunteers with community members who can use tech assistance. 

Closing the digital divide is well worth the cost, said Mowry. He points to a 2018 Purdue Center for Regional Development study that found a 4:1 return on investment in broadband over a 20-year period, reaped in benefits to telemedicine, education, business investment, farm income changes, civic engagement, and property values.

Mowry shared his story this fall with Wisconsin Farmers Union members and USDA and White House officials at an event in Chippewa Falls.. He read the testimonies of people who have benefited first-hand from broadband expansion in the county, including farmers and small business owners Douglas and Patty George. 

“I don’t even know if I can quickly describe how broadband has made so many more things possible for our family,” Mowry read. “There’s a peace of mind knowing we can accomplish the things we need to do as a family, as a business, and academically for our children.”

Mark Zuber serves as town clerk of Drammen, the most rural town in Eau Claire County. “I’ve  been town clerk for 16 years, and this is the first time financial support has been received directly from the federal government which could be used to better the lives of the town residents,” he told Mowry. “The ARPA funds have been used to improve the infrastructure in a predominantly rural area. The town of Drammen appreciates the support of the county, the businesses, and the people invested in their project.”

Another benefit, Mowry adds, is that Zuber knows 911 will actually work in case of emergency.