Support The Develop Wisconsin Act (Senate Bill 111)
A Message from General Manager Dave Carter

The Develop Wisconsin Act (Senate Bill 111), if passed, will allow cooperatives like Chequamegon Communications to provide our member-customers with the best in Internet, broadband and video entertainment. A 2003 ruling by the Public Service Commission blocks cooperatives from investing “retained earnings” in anything but traditional telephone services. Large, for-profit corporations are not blocked in this way, and yet these companies often choose not to invest in providing rural communities with high-tech services. Cheqtel wants to make these kinds of investments in our rural communities— but we currently are not allowed to do so.

Cheqtel believes that local cooperatives should not be prohibited from using their own funds to provide services that their members desire. 49 other states agree with our position: Wisconsin is the only state where telephone cooperatives are blocked from offering modern telecommunications services. The Develop Wisconsin Act (SB 111) would finally put an end to this unfair restriction.

Please let your lawmakers know that you support giving cooperatives the freedom to provide the latest technology services, and ask them to support SB 111.