Connected better than ever

PLYMOUTH, Wis. — Losing connection or waiting forever for data to load are nuisances that Josh Goeser no longer deals with. Since gaining access to high-speed rural broadband in March, things are running smoothly at Goeser Dairy LLC. From cow monitoring to cameras, the technologies Goeser uses every day benefit from a reliable and fast internet connection.

“High-speed internet helps me be more efficient in my daily work,” Goeser said. “The internet is important for the success of our operations — from monitoring cow health to making sure cows are being fed proper nutrition to searching for machinery or parts for repairs.”

Goeser farms with his father, Brian, his uncle, Pat, and his cousin, Joe. The Goesers milk 1,100 cows and farm 1,700 acres near Plymouth. Cows are milked three times a day in a double-18 parallel parlor.

Goeser is the fourth generation on the family farm that was started in 1939. He returned to the farm full time in 2011 and has been a partner in the operation for close to seven years. Goeser has a degree in information science, which has proved helpful in solving technical issues on the farm.

“High-speed internet is faster and more reliable,” Goeser said. “The ability to log on instantly saves time. With a better connection, I’m more relaxed and not wondering if I’m going to show up and all of a sudden everything is down. It gives me peace of mind.”

Goeser Dairy was connected with internet and voice services as part of Spectrum’s Rural Construction Initiative, which will add more than 100,000 miles of infrastructure to its fiber broadband network, delivering gigabit-speed internet access to more than 1.7 million currently unserved, mostly rural homes and small businesses across the country. In 2025, Spectrum extended its network in Wisconsin to reach 42,000 new locations.

“Supporting Wisconsin’s dairy farmers with reliable broadband is a priority for our team,” said Matt Brown, Spectrum area vice president for Wisconsin and Minnesota. “We see firsthand how dependable connectivity helps local businesses like Goeser Dairy operate more efficiently and care for their animals.”     

High-speed broadband is providing Goeser with the up-to-the-minute information he needs for making timely decisions. With no lag in data, he can access critical information at any moment.

Before switching to high-speed broadband, the dairy was using digital subscriber line internet from Frontier.

“We would lose connection once or twice a week or several times a month,” Goeser said. “Now we experience faster, more reliable data and far fewer outages.”

Goeser relies on the farm’s collar monitoring system for their breeding program and receiving updates on cow health. When the internet was down, they were unable to extract data from the collars. A lapse in connectivity would then cause a backup in the data.

“When we got it back online, it was pushing all this data through, and it would take awhile to get it all back,” Goeser said. “They would feed it to their cloud, and it would take a day or two.”

The time lapse was large enough that it caused Goeser to fall behind on sick cows and miss cows in heat. Health alerts failed to come through; therefore, physical observation of cows was required. Rather than the system pinpointing which cows are sick, someone had to walk through every pen and check every cow.

“When you have the daily reports, you just have to go find a certain cow versus walking every pen to observe everyone,” Goeser said. “It wasn’t as efficient.”

A down system also meant heat detection could go unnoticed, increasing the number of reproduction shots to give. Having real-time data at his fingertips saves Goeser on drug costs and the inconvenience and labor involved in giving shots.

Managing feed inventory is another example of where high-speed internet comes in handy for Goeser Dairy. The farm uses the FeedWatch system to keep track of feed inventories and ensure accuracy of recipes when mixing rations.

The Goesers also utilize a comprehensive camera system powered by the internet that includes 15 cameras, four of which are in the parlor.

“We have cameras all over the farm to monitor everything from calving pens to employees,” Goeser said. “They monitor 24/7, when we’re not here…You have to be vigilant.”

With a high-speed connection, cameras load instantly and work better for watching everything that goes on at the farm, he said. The Goesers’ use of Cattle Care software in the parlor to monitor employees goes hand in hand with their camera system to ensure milking procedures are followed.

Chris Caporale, Spectrum spokesman, said the company’s rural expansion is a large undertaking across the state.

“Our focus is making sure everyone has access to high-speed internet,” Caporale said. “When we’re doing these rural buildouts, we want to give people options and the speed, efficiency and reliability they can count on for whatever it is they are using it for.”

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, 77.4% of rural Americans have high-speed access compared to 98.5% in urban areas. Benton Institute for Broadband & Society states that approximately 18% of U.S. farms lack internet access, but rural connectivity is expanding thanks to federal and state programs.

Goeser Dairy has three hotspots — one for each freestall barn — along with a regular router that Goeser accesses from the parlor. Goeser can access animal records from these hotspots and monitor chillers online to ensure milk is being stored at the proper temperature. Goeser also utilizes a hotspot with their robotic feed pusher, which can notify him if there are any issues.

Goeser said if he is off-site, he likes having the ability to log in remotely to check on the chillers. Remote access to programs like DairyComp has also been made easier for him through high-speed broadband.

“The cell service out here is really bad so now we use Wi-Fi calling more, too,” Goeser said. “For example, if we need to make an emergency call to the vet, we can get a hold of them easier instead of walking around in circles in the driveway trying to get an answer or have a conversation.”

Goeser said high-speed internet services also ensure flawless streaming of online training videos for employees.

“The videos load quicker, and it’s not buffering,” he said.

Goeser said in the future, high-speed broadband could be helpful in utilizing various artificial intelligence capabilities and robotic milking, if they decide to implement that technology someday.

“I like not having to wonder, will I have internet today or will I not have internet?” Goeser said. “When it was down, it was like going back to the old ways. High-speed internet helps me be more efficient and makes my job easier. As a dairy farmer, you have so much to do each day, therefore, you have to work smarter, not harder.”