Bug Tussel is proud to be partnered with Waushara County through a grant that was issued in winter of 2021 for a broadband solution project. The project, ROAD to Digital Equality: Waushara County, is designed to equip Waushara County with a fiberoptic backbone network and wireless access through rural areas.
Bug Tussel currently has 17 towers on-air in the county and will install 11 towers and 108.7 miles of fiber within 1-3 years, with options for expansion available as agreed upon by Bug Tussel and the county. The fiberoptic ring will be a part of the 2,000+ miles of fiberoptic cable that is currently being deployed by Bug Tussel throughout rural areas of Wisconsin.
Bug Tussel began providing cellular enhance-ments to rural Wisconsin for larger national carriers in 2003 and expanded into broadband in 2006. Bug Tussel now provides either broadband or cellular service in 50+ counties in Wisconsin, with additional sites in other Midwest states.
“We are extremely excited to be the internet provider responsible for enhancing service to Waushara County residents” indicates Bug Tussel founder and CEO, Steve Schneider. “Our approach is to provide a comprehensive plan to the county including improved cellular service, short-term 25 Mbps, a redundant fiberoptic ring that will be open to all providers to accelerate fiberoptic service to every home in the county as well as our Bug Tussel University program which will be a resource for residents to access how they can use technology to enhance their lives and their businesses at no cost.”
Bug Tussel is creative in their approach to think differently to get customers the service they deserve. Bug Tussel prides themselves on serving areas where others can’t... or won’t, as the company finds value in connecting rural communities together, as well as becoming a part of the community by providing free technology classes to the public, known as the Bug Tussel University sector of the company.
Bug Tussel sponsored the Wautoma Wine Walk which began at the WWII Memorial Building in Wautoma on June 25 and the Chicken Chew 2022 festival in Coloma from June 24-June 26. Bug Tussel currently has 921 total subscriptions in Waushara County with 24 activations in June. The sales team has been targeting customers along the fiber route, offering pre-sales for fiber internet.
Current towers sites include Coloma, Dakota, Deerfield, Hancock, Mount Morris, Plainfield County, Plainfield South, Poy Sippi, Red Granite, Redgranite WT, Richford, Saxeville, Wautoma County, Wautoma DT, West Bloomfield, Wild Rose, and Wild Rose DT.
Two towers, Long Lake Tower and Neshkoro Tower, are currently under construction in Waushara County. Construction crews from Red Tail Tower, Bug Tussel’s sister company, have completed with the “stacking” phase of construction in which sections of the tower are lifted by crane and secured piece-by-piece from bottom to top to construct the tower.
Crews are now working on connecting power to the towers before they can install the “cabinet”, a box on the ground that houses and protects utilities and equipment for the tower. Fiber Construction has begun in the southwest area of the county. This process began by installing conduit into the ground with a plow or drill.
Bug Tussel is proud to be partnered with Waushara County through a grant that will help fund and fulfill the broadband solutions to residents and businesses in the county.
