A lawsuit against the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, Wiscnet and others over a broadband Internet project in four locations around the state was dismissed in Dane County court Friday.
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Peter Anderson dismissed the July 2011 lawsuit filed by Wisconsin Independent Telecommunications System against the Board of Regents, Wiscnet, CCI Systems Inc. and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, according to a statement from the UW Extension.
The suit was over the Wisconsin Broadband Project, which aims to partner Community Area Network with the private sector to enhance broadband connectivity via a statewide infrastructure, according to the UW Extension website.
Access Wisconsin, a company that represents a number of rural telecommunications companies, said it is still deciding its next steps following the judge’s decision in a Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association statement.
Wisconsin Broadband Project coordinator Maria Alvarez Stroud disagreed, saying this decision would benefit the state.
“[This is] good news to the Wisconsin economy,” she said.
The WSTAS statement said the decision was based off the judge’s opinion and neglected all aspects of the suit outside of using state and federal funds in Superior, Platteville, Wausau and Chippewa.
The statement also said the project was a waste of taxpayer money, injures rural telephone communications providers and takes money away from schools and libraries through its effects on the BadgerNet Converged Network.
BadgerNet provides services to all 72 Wisconsin counties through a wide network, Internet transport and video applications, according to BadgerNet’s website.
Its services are provided to organizations in both the private and public sector, as well as to technical colleges and K-12 schools, the website said.
According to the UW Extension website, the Building Community Capacity through Broadband project would help Wisconsin’s businesses in a global market and aid the unemployed by allowing more access to online tools and job prospects while also giving access to online educational opportunities.
Other benefits of the project include expanding telemedicine, increasing telecommunications and making Wisconsin a more desirable place or businesses or people to stay, according to the website.
Ray Cross, UW Extension and UW Colleges chancellor, emphasized the project’s importance in a UW Extension statement.
“This work by the UW Extension and our many community partners is vital to the future of the Wisconsin economy,” he said. “I hope that now the government, the university, private businesses and communities in every corner of the state will be able to work together to assure Wisconsin is connected to the global economy.”
Access Wisconsin represents 30 independent telephone companies spread across the state, according to an Access Wisconsin statement announcing the lawsuit.
The statement also said it was illegal to use state and federal funds to place themselves ahead in the private sector.
“This competition – unfairly subsidized with taxpayer money – would reduce revenue to local telephone companies, especially in rural areas,” Access Wisconsin President and CEO Mark Weller said. “That means local employers would not have the revenues they need to provide jobs and to invest in infrastructure for the entire community.”
Access Wisconsin said it would meet with an attorney to decide its next steps following the judge’s decision in the company’s statement.
