(April 15, 2015) - The Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association (WSTA) and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) today unveiled a new interactive map that identifies more than 100 state business and industrial parks with gigabit broadband availability.
The Gigabit Business Park mapping project, the first of its kind in the nation, identifies the parks that are capable of providing broadband service of 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) or more. The map indicates whether a business park has broadband options of up to 1Gbps, 10Gbps or 100Gbps.
There are currently 113 business and industrial parks on the map, which will continuously be updated as new sites are identified. WEDC will continue to work with WSTA and other providers to expand the list of gigabit business parks.
A gigabit broadband connection is 100 times faster than average Internet speeds, which means businesses with a 1Gbps connection can transfer large data files more efficiently. Large data file download or upload times on a 1Gbps broadband connection may be reduced to a few seconds, which results in increased efficiency and business productivity.
"The mapping of business parks and industrial parks with 1 gigabit or higher broadband is a competitive advantage for Wisconsin and enables the state to better attract businesses that have high-speed Internet needs," said Reed Hall, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. "The new map enables site selectors and corporations to quickly determine which parts of the state have the high-speed services they need."
"Our partnership with WEDC on this project creates a tremendous competitive advantage for Wisconsin," added Bill Esbeck, executive director of WSTA, which represents more than 70 local phone companies, Internet providers and wireless carriers. "With this initiative, we can make gigabit broadband availability a selling point and a component of future economic development success. Companies considering relocating or expanding in Wisconsin will know that we have the broadband they need."
In addition to indicating the level of broadband at each park, the map also identifies the Internet service providers and provides direct contact information for them.
The business park information is included at LocateInWisconsin.com, the WEDC’s free online search tool for businesses looking to relocate to or expand in Wisconsin. The interactive map provides company executives and site selectors with comprehensive information for making business expansion decisions in Wisconsin, including commercial real estate data, demographic breakdowns, community details, lists of buildings available for sale or lease, and information on the local workforce.
Access to high-speed Internet service has become a major factor among site selectors or corporations in deciding where to relocate or expand. In a 2008 ranking of top site selection criteria by Area Development Magazine, broadband ranked as the 21st most important consideration in such decisions. By 2013, broadband ranked fifth highest. A similar study of site selectors conducted by Site Selection Magazine found that 55 percent of site selectors request information about broadband as part of a standard site survey, while 40 percent of location decisions involve specific broadband speed requirements.
"Although many businesses can operate efficiently with broadband speeds below 1Gbps, faster broadband options are a higher priority for today’s business customer," Esbeck explained. "The infrastructure needed to offer 1Gbps broadband requires a fiber optic connection and cutting-edge electronics, which provide a quality platform for future growth. WSTA members have broadband networks that can handle current and future demands."
“Nsight Telservices is proud to be a part of Wisconsin’s Gigabit Business Park success story,” said Bob Webb, VP of fixed operations and technical projects for Nsight Telservices. “We have tremendous broadband availability, and this partnership with state, regional and local economic development professionals will highlight our communities as a destination for business expansions and relocations.”
The sites served with Nsight Telservices gigabit broadband are:
Niagara Business Park
Pulaski Industrial Park
Pulaski North Industrial Park
Raasch Acres Industrial Park (Shawano)
Bay Lake Industrial Park (Shawano)
This Nsight family of companies has also deployed gigabit networks for residential use in four Wisconsin communities. Nsight Telservices delivers fiber-to-the home service in the Centennial Centre at Hobart master-planned community, areas of Pulaski and surrounding communities and in the city of Niagara. Its sister-company Cellcom began offering high-speed fiber-to-the-home service in Shawano early last year.
Nsight Telservices offers world-class telecommunication solutions with exceptional customer experience. Residential offerings include high-speed Internet, voice, and cable television for customers in the greater Pulaski and Abrams area. Business offerings include transport and wavelength solutions, voice services, Internet, business Ethernet, business telephone systems and converged services. Nsight, parent company of Nsight Telservices and Cellcom, is a premier communications provider throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. To learn more about Nsight Telservices, visit www.nsighttel.com.