Spectrum continues to expand high-speed internet to rural communities west of Appleton
The expansion is expected to help close the digital divide between rural and urban America. According to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center, only 72% of rural Americans have broadband internet at home.
This isn't the first time Spectrum has expanded its high-speed internet services to rural towns in Outagamie County. The company also launched the service to more than 3,000 homes and small businesses in Freedom, Center, Osborn, and other municipalities.
In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission, the national regulator of broadband access, awarded Charter Communications $168 million to bring high-speed internet to 143,000 new homes and businesses statewide. Mike Hogan, spokesperson for Charter Communications, owner of the Spectrum brand, told The Post-Crescent last year that the company has invested $500 million, with an additional $21 million in state funds to complete the project.
Spectrum provides download speeds ranging from 500 Mbps to 1Gbps, according to a new release shared with The Post-Crescent.
Zhen Wang is a business reporter for The Post-Crescent. Reach her with story tips and feedback at zwang@gannett.com or 920-993-7117.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Outagamie, Winnebago county communities see Spectrum expansion
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