• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Business / UW separating from WiscNet

UW separating from WiscNet

July 9, 2013 By Bob Hague

A nonprofit group which provides Internet services to school districts, libraries and other public-sector entities expects to maintain a viable business model, despite the loss of its largest customer, the University of Wisconsin System.

WiscNet recently lost the UW System, after legislators prohibited the UW and WiscNet from operating together. “I don’t quite understand . . . why we’d want to separate the K-12s from the university,” David Lois, executive director of WiscNet, told a joint hearing by a pair of state Senate committees on Monday.

The UW had recently approved a new contract with WiscNet, that drew complaint from Republicans legislators and private sector providers. Faced with the possibility of litigation, the university withdrew from the contract last month.

“The success we’ve had for the last 25 years have been quite remarkable,” said Lois. “I think there’s little to no evidence that we’ve caused damage or harm to the telecommunications industry.”

But Bill Esbeck with the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association said WiscNet has enjoyed an unfair advantage, amounting to a taxpayer subsidy, due to its long working relationship with the UW System. He expects WiscNet to remain a viable Internet service provider, but said his members are ready to peel away even more customers. “On an apples to apples basis, we are already beating WiscNet on price,” he said.

The UW System plans to operate its own independent network service, and is now in the process of determining what assets it owns, and what are owned by WiscNet.

 

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Business, Education, News, Politics / Govt



Featured Stories

Evers delivers State of the State address

Abortion rights rally highlights Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Bail and benefits questions will be on Wisconsin’s April statewide ballot

Evers issues promised TikTok ban

Johnson, Baldwin both vote ‘yes’ to avert rail strike

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Giannis breaks franchise scoring record, Bucks beat Nets in OT

Wisconsin’s Davis declares for NBA Draft

Badgers to face Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl

Williams likely out for the season with broken hand

Packers releasing TE Jace Sternberger

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2023 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC