West Central eTeam Meeting, Tech Summit, Highlight Advancement in Region
Clayton Black
Published: January 31, 2014
CARTHAGE, Ill., Jan. 23, 2013 – The third annual Western Illinois Technology Summit last Thursday in Carthage served as an opportunity for the Partnership for a Connected Illinois (PCI) West Central eTeam to reflect on successes and look ahead to future and current opportunities.
It was a busy year and progress was made in connecting western Illinoisans to all that is offered by a high-speed broadband connectivity.
A number of major institutions saw better broadband come to their doorstep, including Memorial Hospital, courtesy of the Illinois Rural HealthNet and McDonough Telephone Cooperative. Carthage Veterinarians Services, one of the largest veterinary clinics in the Midwest, gained world-class upgrades that connected their multiple facilities.
Adams Telephone was active in the region, initiating a fiber to the home build in the small community of Fowler, population 1,600. The provider also participated in a federal program that provided low cost broadband access to communities in their region. Several new customers were connected to the internet, provided with a discounted computer, and trained on how to use it as a result of this project.
Prairie Power also made a major announcement that they will cut ground on a build throughout the region. The build will be primarily for smart grid infrastructure but will provide an alternate option for better broadband to hospitals and schools along the route.
This year, the eTeam will continue to follow the discussion at the state and national level to help get better broadband access to schools in the most rural parts of its region as the schools prepare to go online with testing for the 2014-15 school year.
The eTeam will collaborate with the Great Rivers Economic Development Foundation on USDA grant opportunities and on their connectivity taskforce.
Another priority will be connecting local governments to a platform created by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. The platform involves technology planning, website building and maintenance for rural governments in need of a better online presence.
Mobile access is another major challenge in the region for area farmers who rely on the technology to drive their tractors that will receive attention from the team.
The afternoon technology summit was filled with presentations by area technology specialists and demonstrated tools like Microsoft Office 8.0, Google Aps, and life in the cloud.
The day also include a presentation by the Illini West High School Robotics Club.
Prior to the afternoon presentations eTeam member and WITS leader Matt Dickenson asked the crowd how many had dial up in their homes. No hands were raised. He followed by asking how many had satellite with no response. “Well then it looks like we are definitely making progress towards our goal,” he said.
Follow the eTeam on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ConnectWesternIllinois.