MADISON, Wis. (Aug. 30, 2022) – Residents and businesses in the Village of Hazel Green are about to experience a major boost in broadband service. The rural community, about 90 miles southwest of Madison near the Wisconsin/Illinois border, will soon benefit from a partnership between Alliant Energy and Comelec Internet Services.
Today, the two companies announced a partnership to expand high-speed internet service to nearly 550 households and businesses. Once the project is complete, customers will gain access to internet speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps download/1,000 Mbps upload.
Comelec and Alliant Energy already have underground fiber-optic lines. Under this new partnership, the strands of fiber will be connected. Comelec will then lease the strands in order to deliver fast, reliable internet service to customers.
“Comelec is excited to join in partnership with Alliant Energy to provide fiber-optic internet to homes and businesses in the Village of Hazel Green,” says Tim Burbach, President of Comelec. “We are also looking forward to future projects with Alliant Energy.”
According to Comelec, many of the customers who will be positively impacted by this partnership currently rely on other means to access broadband or simply go without. The company expects to begin construction in spring 2023 and plans to use local contractors. Service should be available by the end of summer 2023.
“This new partnership is a significant milestone toward eliminating the digital divide that’s adversely impacting many residents in rural areas with low to moderate incomes,” says David de Leon, president of Alliant Energy's Wisconsin energy company. “This is an important step to overcoming the divide.”
This is the second broadband pilot project announced by Alliant Energy this summer. In June, Alliant Energy announced a new partnership with Mt. Horeb Telephone Company (MHTC) to expand high-speed internet service to nearly 150 households and businesses in Hollandale.
Alliant Energy donates computers
In addition to its partnership with Comelec, Alliant Energy donates computers to local organizations to help close the digital divide. Through its new TechRefresh program, the company has donated refreshed computers to the Hazel Green library and first responders.
In total, Alliant Energy has donated nearly 100 computers to agencies across Wisconsin and Iowa.
To learn more about the company’s efforts to close the digital divide, visit alliantenergy.com/broadband.
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to 1 million electric and 425,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index and the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.