News

December 28, 2009

By Mona Sandefur
Benton Evening News

SPRINGFIELD - An Illinois project has received federal support through a grant in the amount of $1.8 million from the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration to support a comprehensive broadband mapping and planning initiative. The funding will yield a highly detailed map showing areas throughout the state down to the street level where gaps in broadband coverage exist.

The Partnership for a Connected Illinois, the host organization for Connect Illinois, is a not-for-profit corporation that includes Southern Illinois University, Man-Tra-Con Corporation, and Connected Nation.

Connect Illinois was selected by the State of Illinois to help close the digital divide with the goal of increasing broadband Internet access throughout Illinois. The federal grant is comprised of $1.3 million for broadband data collection and mapping activities over a five-year period in Illinois. The award provided through NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The funding will be used to develop a highly interactive statewide map showing broadband Internet availability and the results of statewide research regarding adoption rates and barriers.

These tools will be invaluable in helping identify gaps in broadband Internet service, helping public and private sector entities and network providers understand what the barriers to Internet n are in the state, and providing new information to help in the development of a statewide broadband plan.

Ron Duncan is president of the board of directors of The Partnership for a Connected Illinois.

“A lot of very committed and talented people have worked extremely hard over the past 18 months to get to this point,” he said. “We are honored to have been chosen by Governor Quinn as the state’s designated entity and certainly by the confidence placed in us by NTIA.”

Link to article here.

December 25, 2009

By Rhys Saunders
The State Journal-Register

Efforts to expand broadband Internet availability in rural areas of Illinois are getting a boost from federal stimulus funds.

A non-governmental organization, the Carbondale-based Partnership for a Connected Illinois, this week was awarded $1.8 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The grant was announced by the office of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, who said broadband is “an important economic tool, and too many Illinoisans lack adequate and affordable access.”

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration grant was one of 15 given nationwide to fund broadband mapping and planning activities. The national program aims to increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning.

The Partnership for a Connected Illinois is a statewide partnership project, according to Rex Duncan, director of community development and outreach at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Duncan said the federal money will be used to determine broadband availability throughout Illinois.

“We want to know where it’s available and, particularly, where it’s not available,” he said. “From there, we want to develop strategies of how to get it into these underserved areas.”

About $1.3 million will fund broadband data collection and mapping activities the first two years, while $500,000 will be used for planning activities over a five-year period, according to NTIA.

The formation of The Partnership for a Connected Illinois dates back to 2005 at SIU, Duncan said, when a university-backed group was charged by the state to find a qualified, non-profit corporation to run a state broadband project.

“Broadband is a requisite infrastructure these days for economic success,” Duncan said.

“Frankly, the United States is falling behind globally. There is going to be an increasing volume of health information exchanged over broadband in the coming years, so we have to have the infrastructure in place to support that.”

Rhys Saunders can be reached at 788-1521.

Link to article here.

December 24, 2009

Chicago Press Release Services

Gov. Pat Quinn today announced that Illinois has received $1.8 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve broadband access throughout the state.

The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will assist the state with broadband mapping and planning efforts.

“This funding will help ensure that no one in Illinois is left out of the technological revolution.

Today, too many individuals are without access to affordable internet service – this is especially true in our rural and low-income communities,” said Governor Quinn. “This funding is a big step toward realizing Illinois’ broadband goals.”

A Partnership for a Connected Illinois (Connect Illinois) is the non-profit entity that has been designated by the state to manage this project.

Connect Illinois will use approximately $1.3 million of the funding for broadband data collection and mapping activities and approximately $500,000 for broadband planning activities.

Once complete, Illinois will have statewide data on the availability, speed and location of broadband services. The data collected and compiled will be used to develop broadband maps with the intention of targeting state resources to unserved and underserved areas.

The data will also eventually help populate a national broadband map.

“These maps will ultimately help us focus state resources on the neediest areas, helping to ensure that no matter where you live, you have the availability and access to internet service,” said Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Warren Ribley.

“With these resources, we’re opening the door to greater opportunities for 21st century job growth and economic prosperity in Illinois.”

A long-time advocate of improving the state’s broadband access, Governor Quinn has taken many significant steps to ensure connectivity in all areas of Illinois.

The Illinois Jobs Now! capital bill provides funding for placing fiber-optic network conduit along highway projects in unserved areas; and the state provided technical grant writing assistance and matching grants to ARRA applicants who would provide broadband services.

The federal government is expected to announce those grant recipients at any time.

For more information on the state’s broadband efforts, visit Broadband.illinois.gov.


Link to article here.

December 24, 2009

By The Associated Press
The Hearld and Review (Decatur, IL)

SPRINGFIELD (AP) - Illinois is to receive about $1.8 million in federal money to increase Internet access.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Wednesday that the money will come from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It will be used to expand access to broadband Internet through better data collection and planning.

Durbin's office says the non-governmental organization Partnership for a Connected Illinois will use about $1.3 million of the grant money for broadband collection and mapping. The state-supervised group will use about $500,000 for broadband planning.

Durbin says ``broadband is an important economic tool, and too many Illinoisans lack adequate and affordable access.''


Link to article here.