Quinn Grants $1 Million to Evanston in Gigabit Communities Challenge Program- Nathan Woodside, Jan 22, 2013
- Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday announced that Evanston is the third grant recipient in the Illinois Gigabit Communities Challenge state grant program.
Illinois Board of Education Meets With Broadband Illinois on Standardized Testing- Nathan Woodside, Jan 18, 2013
- Representatives from Broadband Illinois met with top officials from the State Board of Education on Thursday to discuss statewide connectivity issues in public schools.
Monmouth Plans Virtual Museum with Broadband Funds- Jan 15, 2013
- The city of Monmouth is moving forward with design plans for a virtual museum, thanks to the Illinois Broadband Innovation Fund.
Co-ops building smart grid communications with a broadband bonus- Ed Vanhoose, Jan 11, 2013
- If you live in a city you probably have access to several broadband Internet provider options. The same can’t always be said for those living in rural areas. But there’s good news.
At Rural Libraries, Young and Old Connect to Learn and Teach Digital Literacy Skills- Roxana Ryan, Dec 20, 2012
Effingham Library’s “Connecting Generations” Program Matches Teens and Seniors for Computer Training
DECEMBER 20, 2012 – Nancy lives in an assisted living community and wants to learn how to use Skype to keep up with her out-of-state family. Makayla is smart, tech-savvy and goes to a high-school school that requires community service hours for each student. Both are meeting their needs thanks to the Connecting Generations program at Helen Matthes Library in Effingham.
Many "Broadband Moments" for Illinois in 2012- Roxana Ryan, Dec 20, 2012
It’s been a big year for broadband in Illinois. Statewide initiatives challenged us to think innovatively about broadband access and expansion while new internet adoption programs targeted the 37 percent of Illinoisans who aren’t using broadband. Providers of broadband in Illinois continued to expand and update their infrastructure with newer, faster technologies that are reaching the schools, hospitals, and homes that need it the most. And yesterday, we received exciting news from the Federal Communications Commission. Our “Better Broadband, Better Lifeline” pilot program will bring $1.5 million to Illinois, providing reduced-cost internet service, training and more to 35 counties with low internet adoption rates. Read more here.
- Seasons Greetings! Our "Broadband Moments" of 2012, Connecting Generations and More!
- Roxana Ryan, Dec 20, 2012
- Read Broadband Illinois' special Season's Greetings edition newsletter.
FCC Awards 1.5 Million to Illinois Broadband Carriers for Lifeline Pilot Program- Roxana Ryan, Dec 19, 2012
“Better Broadband, Better Lifeline” Program Will Provide Discounted Service, Training and Internet Devices to Low-Income Illinois Residents
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, December 19, 2012 – Residents in 35 rural Illinois counties are set to receive $1.5 million in discounted internet service, digital literacy training, and low-cost internet devices as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Broadband Lifeline Adoption Pilot Program Competition, the FCC today announced.
Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network Bridges Digital Divide in Rural Areas- Roxana Ryan, Dec 6, 2012
- Broadband Illinois interviewed Scott Genung, Director of Telecommunications and Networking at Illinois State University, on the progress and goals of the Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network (CIRBN). The network, based out of Normal, is a federally funded project designed to provide high-speed, low-cost Internet connectivity to community anchor institutions (CAIs) and communities throughout Central Illinois. CIRBN will serve rural communities as well as K-12 school districts, healthcare, public safety, government, not-for-profit, and commercial institutions. The project is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2013!
Cyber Broadcasting Utilizes Mapping Data to Expand, Serve Housing Authorities- Roxana Ryan, Dec 6, 2012
- Cesare Bratta is the President of Cyber Broadcasting, LLC, based out of Coal City. He frequently attends eTeam meetings in the Northwest and North Central regions and has even utilized Broadband Illinois speed-tier maps to expand his coverage area.
Joink LLC Expands Service Area in East Central Illinois- Roxana Ryan, Dec 6, 2012
Brian Gray is the Network Manager at Joink LLC, a provider of high-speed internet in Southeast Central Illinois and Western Indiana.
Are you serving any interesting anchor institutions or businesses that are using your services to do innovative things?
Absolutely! We provide Internet connectivity to many medical facilities, local governments, K-12 schools, and home businesses in Illinois and Indiana. As for distance learning, I know we have a number of home users who use the Internet for getting higher education online. Usually, these are adults who have full-time jobs and are trying to improve their lives by receiving a college education.
Mid Century Telephone Builds Fiber to Recreational Community- Roxana Ryan, Dec 6, 2012
- Broadband Illinois interviewed Brenda Soland, Commerical Manager at Mid Century Telephone Cooperative about a new fiber expansion to the resort community of Oak Run and other happenings at the North Central Illinois company.
- Special Edition Broadband Provider Newsletter
- Roxana Ryan, Dec 6, 2012
- See Who's Updating, Expanding and Innovating in Illinois in this special edition newsletter.
Rahm's broadband plan draws lots of interest- Greg Hinz on Crain's Chicago Business, Nov 28, 2012
- Mayor Rahm Emanuel's plan to position Chicago for the digital age has received a warm reception from telecom providers, with more than a score of companies, including industry leaders, seriously kicking tires on the idea of providing ultra-high-speed broadband and expanded free Wi-Fi service here.
Center for Digital Inclusion is Established at the University of Illinois- Center for Digital Inclusion, Nov 21, 2012
- The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) is proud to announce the establishment of the Center for Digital Inclusion (CDI) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The CDI strives to foster inclusive and sustainable societies through research, teaching, and public engagement about information and communication technologies (ICT).
We need your vote!- Roxana Ryan, Nov 20, 2012
We need your vote to get Better Broadband to more Illinoisans!
Broadband Illinois is competing in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest and a $25,000 grand prize is up for grabs.
Chicago Public Schools, Microsoft, United Way team up to provide ‘digital literacy’- ROSALIND ROSSI Education Reporter, Chicago Sun-Times, Nov 19, 2012
- Mary Ann Moore-Lockhart says her two sisters didn’t know a mouse “is not something you catch in a trap’’ until they got computer training at a new Parent Engagement Center at Chicago’s Libby School.
Mayor Emanuel, CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Microsoft and United Way Announce the Opening of 12 New Parent Engagement Centers in CPS- Press Release Mayor's Press Office, Nov 19, 2012
- Centers Are Being Piloted in 12 Schools As Part of the Administration’s Focus on Encouraging Parental Involvement in Their Children’s Education; Pilot Is A Collaboration with Microsoft, United Way and Chicago Public Schools That Helps Parents Develop the Digital Skills they Need to Help Their Children Continue Learning
Broadband Research Conference, Meet the GIS Team, East Central Broadband Summit, and more!- Roxana Ryan, Nov 15, 2012
- Read about the upcoming Broadband Research Conference, the great work from the GIS Team, the East Central Broadband Summit and more in the latest edition of the Broadband Illinois newsletter!
- Finding and Nurturing New Internet Users
- Drew Clark, Nov 15, 2012
We've been collecting and publishing data about broadband supply for more than two years. We've submitted six rounds of this data to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the National Broadband Map. Our Broadband Illinois website features a plethora of resources, maps, and tools created with this information. Studying the ways Illinoisans adopt to and use broadband is another key piece of the "broadband picture." This month, we are pleased to release a series of pathbreaking research reports into broadband usage.
New Report Reveals Regional Differences in Illinois Broadband Usage- Roxana Ryan, Nov 14, 2012
The digital divide prevails in areas of Southern and Western Illinois where less than 60 percent of residents use high-speed internet services at their home, according to a report on broadband adoption and usage released today by Broadband Illinois.
Our Town Grows: Web Tools Sustain Life, Learning and Local Commerce Everywhere- Layton Olson, Nov 12, 2012
- People now meet on the street and in local web places. How is this done? How do Internet tools help the local economy? Read the full blog post by Layton Olson to find some answers to these questions, featured here on Broadband Illinois!
Lighting and Heating Main Street and Residential Areas- Layton Olson, Nov 6, 2012
Utilities and Broadband as Foundations for Economic Vitality in Rural and Urban Places
What does it take to upgrade lighting and heating utilities to achieve 21st Century energy savings and productivity? How do decisions about Energy and the Environment – as one of seven needs identified in FCC National Broadband Plan – help local community institution networks gain confidence in their Digital Age visions for economic future?
- Data Updates, Gigabit Challenge Winners, Chicago Deadline Extensions and more!
- Oct 25, 2012
- Read the latest newsletter from Broadband Illinois including updates on our data, Gigabit Challenge Winners, and Chicago Deadline Extensions.
Sandburg College Tops in Digital Education- Oct 25, 2012
GALESBURG, IL - Carl Sandburg College has been named the national champion in the small colleges category of the eighth annual Digital Community Colleges Survey by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education.
This is the sixth year in a row Sandburg has been named one of the top 10 colleges in its category, which includes schools with less than 5,000 students.
“Carl Sandburg College is thrilled to be recognized as the No. 1 community college in our category for the entire United States. It is truly an honor,” President Dr. Lori Sundberg said. “The kudos for this award goes directly to our outstanding Information Technology Department and our Vice President of Administrative Services and CIO, Samuel Sudhakar.”