TDS expanding fiber connections in rural Central Wisconsin

TDS Telecommunications is kicking off work on a major network upgrade project to expand access to high-speed internet connections to its rural customers in Wood County (WI). All TDS-served addresses in the county, including the areas of Arpin, Auburndale, Babcock, Hansen, Lincoln, Pittsville, Remington, Richfield, and more, will be included in the upgrade plans. Construction will kick off this year and extend until at least 2028. This year’s plans call for installing nearly 400 miles of high-speed infrastructure to connect more than 3,500 addresses. This build plan, expected to start this spring in many locations, includes accessing public utility easement areas to bury conduit and fiber-optic cables, as well as upgrading aerial cables. TDS services of at least 100 Mbps and up to 8 Gigabit in some locations, will launch to customers in phases as sections of the network are completed. The network upgrades are being supported, in part, by the Federal Communications Commission’s four-year Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model program along with TDS investment.