Drones to give rural students access to internet

EAGLE RIVER, Wis. (WSAW) – Students in the Northland Pines School District will soon have access to high-speed broadband internet after an announcement by Governor Tony Evers that they will be receiving a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

It’s a $100,000 grant that’s allowing Forest County Economic Development to test out a tethered, drone-based internet system from Wisconsin Telelift.

Although Northland Pines School District provides the latest technology to its students, that doesn’t mean all students have proper access to high-speed internet.

“The great thing about technology is it can fill voids and opportunities that maybe you can’t provide while at school,” Northland Pines District Administrator Scott Foster said.

It’s a problem the WEDC is trying to help solve with a grant.

“So much of education is online, that if those households that don’t have high-speed internet or broadband access to the internet, they’re just going to be…