News from Broadband Illinois, June 28th, 2012

As the June 30, 2012, deadline for Governor Pat Quinn’s Illinois Gigabit Community Challenge approaches, contenders across the state are putting the finishing touches on plans to expand ultra high-speed internet throughout their communities.  This competition is the first of its kind for Illinois. The stakes are high: A total of $6 million in capital funding will be awarded to the most promising deployment projects.
 
By investing in broadband technology and capitalizing on the innovation of Illinoisans, our citizens will be able to find and apply for jobs faster, participate in distance learning courses, access telehealth and eGovernment tools, and spur economic growth. Deploying ultra-high speed bandwidth will ensure that Illinois is an appealing place for businesses to locate and for college graduates to find careers and establish families.  
 
Announced in February during the State of the State address, the Gigabit Challenge was funded by the multi-year “Illinois Jobs Now!” capital development plan. While these funds were previously used to jumpstart fiber builds and connect community anchor institutions in 2010 and 2011, the Gigabit Challenge is a new opportunity to “unleash the savvy of our entrepreneurs, the brainpower of our academics, and the creativity of our innovators,” Governor Quinn said.
 
While other Gigabit initiatives like Google’s Gigabit Challenge and the Gig.U consortium, have prompted ultra high-speed efforts in cities, Governor Quinn’s challenge is unique nationally in that the criteria is fairly flexible.  Any private or public entity may apply to connect at least 1,000 end users to robust broadband capacity.
 
In the past five months, our eTeams have worked with about two dozen providers and communities to build partnerships interested in this challenge. We seek to promote all applicants so as to ensure high-speed Internet is a priority in more and more locations within Illinois. We hosted a series of webinars, facilitated questions and answers about the challenge and provided mapping resources.
 
The available funding will not permit all applicants to receive awards. We will continue to work with all applicants, winners as well as losers, to build upon the great partnerships being built as a result of this challenge.
 
For more information about the Gigabit Challenge, visit www.gigabit.illinois.gov and www.broadbandillinois.org/news/112.

To view this article on our website, visit www.broadbandillinois.org/news/147. 

Central eTeam Hosts Kick-Off Meeting in Springfield

Broadband enthusiasts from twelve Central Illinois counties gathered in Springfield on June 13 for a kick- off meeting of the Central eTeam. High-speed internet access, adoption and education were hot topics of discussion amongst providers, economic development professionals, and community leaders from across the region.
 
The group determined that education is a big need for this region. The Illinois Century Network and Vince DeMuzio Network are headquartered in the Central Region, and citizens would like to learn more about what opportunities are offered. Representatives from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity also noted they need more education about broadband opportunities in their regions.
 
Providers in the region have been busy expanding their service areas and hooking up homes and anchor institutions with no service. 

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• What are the needs for broadband healthcare education in the Greater Peoria and Bloomington-Normal area?
• What existing healthcare programs and activities are providing healthcare services in Peoria and the North Central eTeam Region?
• What, if anything, are these programs lacking?