Bertram Communications briefs Walworth County group on BEED application status and next steps

Bertram Communications representatives told a Walworth County intergovernmental meeting that preliminary BEED round 1 awards were announced April 24 and that the company’s countywide broadband proposal is under state and federal review.

The presentation explained why award notices are limited, outlined probable timelines for subsequent BEED rounds, and described steps municipalities should expect if the project is awarded. County staff told the group the Walworth County Board previously endorsed Bertram’s countywide application rather than a separate southwest-county proposal.

Why it matters: federal and state broadband awards affect which parts of the county are eligible for funded buildouts, how quickly providers can begin permitting and construction, and whether satellite or wireless options will be included in later rounds.

Bertram representatives said the Public Service Commission (PSC) notified vendors of preliminary round‑1 determinations on April 24 but restricted public acknowledgement until the PSC completes additional award announcements. Sarah Lorenz, director of strategic partnerships for Bertram Communications, said, “preliminary awards for round 1 are out,” and described a likely staggered schedule: round 2 opens at the end of the week after the meeting, awards from round 2 likely will be finalized “sometime between May and June,” and a later round would open to satellite providers.

County staff described two vendor proposals the County Board evaluated: a southwest‑portion proposal and a countywide proposal. The County Board “elected to support the whole County version and not the split version,” county staff said. Bertram said it submitted proposals that could be negotiated by the PSC if the commission awarded different portions to different applicants.

Bertram outlined post‑award steps municipalities should expect. The company said it will meet individual communities after awards are final to discuss permitting and local partnerships and that federally required environmental reviews (NEPA) could range from short questionnaires to multi‑month processes with state natural resources agencies. Lorenz said project implementation planning assumes a compressed schedule followed by an extended build period and that vendors are planning for “36” (the transcript did not specify units) to complete each project unit.

Bertram also described the company’s local experience: Jim Bertram said the company began in 2003 with fixed wireless and has expanded into fiber and other technologies, and Lorenz described prior publicly funded builds that positioned the company for BEED work. Both encouraged municipal staff to collect local permitting requirements and to be prepared for meetings if the project is awarded.

County staff encouraged municipalities with project units on the PSC map to be prepared to engage on permitting and local requirements if the vendor is awarded the project. County staff said the PSC had added a 90‑day extension to states’ internal deadlines, and that final federal sign‑off (NTIA or other federal review) could delay public announcements and contract execution beyond initial award notices.

The presenters left business cards and a large printed PSC eligibility map for local officials to review; county staff said vendors will return to municipal leaders with more details after the PSC completes its awards process.