Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B)

Federal Award: $22,534,776
State Award: $3,500,000
Private Funding: $5,165,224
Total Project Award: $31,200,000

Project Map (updated 2/12)

About the Project
The Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) project plans to construct 187 miles of fiber-optic broadband network to provide high-speed connectivity to area community anchor institutions and support fiber-to-the-home services in four low-income neighborhoods. Known as a leader in computer networking technology, the University of Illinois plans to bring its experience to bear as it works to close the digital divide in Urbana-Champaign. The project will directly connect 143 anchor institutions, including 40 K-12 schools, 17 social service agencies, 14 healthcare facilities, nine youth centers, four public library systems, and two higher education institutions. A majority of these institutions expect to receive their first high-speed Internet connection via this project. The project proposes to create a fiber-to-the-home pilot project for 2,500 low-income households to purchase an affordable high-speed Internet service plan from commercial providers. In addition, the project expects to spur affordable broadband Internet access for local consumers, including up to 50,000 households and 3,700 businesses, by enabling local Internet service providers to connect to the project’s open network.

The Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project also proposes to:

• Provide speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
• Work with education, healthcare, public safety and government service organizations to improve access to services and a range of applications for area residents and businesses.

The Organization's History
The lead organization, the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, has 22 years experience in the design, implementation, and operation of 591 miles of networks for the campus, region, and community. The University and the cities of Champaign and Urbana collaborated to create the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband intergovernmental consortium to support the project. The University’s Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services, which plans to oversee the implementation and operations of the proposed network, has a full-time staff of 280, a budget of $42 million, and a strong record of working with the city and social organizations to share the benefits of connectivity with the community.

View 2011 updates here.

February 2013 Update
Current Highlights:

• NTIA approved 61 additional Community Anchor Institutions for BTOP grant-funded installations in late January, and by the end of February most were signed up.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Miles of Conduit Buried: 159.7 (Target was 159)
• Miles of Fiber Blown: 192.5 of 245
• Community Anchor Institutions Contracted: 188 of 284
• Community Anchor Institutions Connected: 98 of 284
• Federal Dollars Invested: $13.9 Million of $22.5 Million
• State Dollars Invested: $3.5 Million of $3.5 Million
• Private/Local Dollars Invested: $1.2 Million of $3 Million
• New Broadband Subscribers Connected: 850 of 2,416
• Direct Jobs Created: 4.5