News from Broadband Illinois, March 27th, 2012

Later this week, our data and mapping team will complete the fifth semi-annual submission of broadband provider coverage and community anchor institution connectivity to the Department of Commerce’s State Broadband Initiative program.
 
We feel so passionately about the Illinois Broadband Map because data and information should be central to helping promote sound policies, and because evidence suggests that broadband is a key driver of job creation and economic activity.
 
With each semi-annual submission cycle, the maps that we publish are becoming fuller and richer. This mapping cycle is particularly important because the Federal Communications Commission may begin using State Broadband Initiative data to determine eligibility for the new Connect America Fund.
 
And that’s why we have been so pleased with the level of cooperation that we have received from broadband providers. In addition to mapping information we receive directly from carriers, we undertake a process of gathering data from other publicly-available sources to verify coverage and available speeds. That way, we are able to provide the best information possible to the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Bookmark our 'Maps' page and look for more updates in April!

Frontier Communications has announced network enhancements and capital investments for recently acquired Illinois service areas, resulting in faster service for the company’s 500,000 Illinois customers.
 
“We’re proud to announce that we invested approximately $75.5 million in Illinois in 2011,” said Mike Flynn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Frontier’s Illinois operations.
 
Frontier has upgraded its backbone fiber network with new technology that increases capacity approximately 80 fold across a new 800-gigabit network for existing and new high-speed customers.

“We are very excited about our new network performance and the reliable, higher broadband speeds we can now deliver to customers,” Flynn said.

See the recently updated provider pages on the Broadband Illinois website, including Frontier's, to view maps of coverage areas, contact information, and download PDF files.

Keep up or catch up with Governor Quinn’s Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge by viewing the March 14 webinar and visiting the new FAQ page.
 
The competition will award up to $4 in capital funding to the most promising ultra high-speed broadband deployment projects in Illinois. Applications are due Friday, May 4. 

Northwest eTeam meeting- 10 a.m. Thursday, April 5 at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon
West Central eTeam Meeting- 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 10 at Western Illinois University in Macomb
North Central eTeam meeting- 2 p.m. Thursday, April 12 at Heartland Partnership in Peoria. 

We have launched a search to fill three newly created full time positions.
The first is a Springfield-based Program Manager who will oversee an innovative grant program focused on job creation and economic growth. Our organization is also looking for a Regional eTeam Coordinator for Chicagoland and an eTeam Outreach Assistant for our Springfield offices.  The deadline to apply for all positions is Friday, April 6.