UC2B breaks ground in big broadband project- Shannon McFarland, Sep 13, 2011
- The Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project, a collaborative effort to bring high-speed broadband to the community in the next year and a half, held a ground-breaking ceremony last week marking the beginning of the $29.4 million project.
- 9/11 Demonstrated Need for National Broadband Network
- Huffington Post, Sep 10, 2011
- A New York Senator says 9/11 demonstrated the need for a nationwide broadband network that would enable first responders to communicate across jurisdictions.
Fiber-Optic Conduits Open Possibility for Surveillance Cameras- Decatur Herald & Review, Sep 10, 2011
The Decatur city council recently approved the installation of fiber optic conduits throughout the downtown area, which could be used to hook up surveillance cameras.
PCI's Executive Director Drew Clark to speak during NATOA’s Webinar- Sep 9, 2011
- Partnership for a Connected Illinois's Executive Director, Drew Clark, will speak during NATOA’s Monday, September 12th eNATOA webinar, taking place from 2:00 – 3:00 PM Eastern. The topic of this eNATOA: The End-Game in Broadband Mapping: has NTIA’s state-by-state effort worked, and can we rely on the resulting maps?
Frontier Communications Is Rolling Out Broadband Big Time- Sep 7, 2011
- Additional Illinois communities now benefiting from greater broadband availability
Bloomington, Illinois – September 7, 2011 – Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) has been serving residents and businesses in rural Illinois communities since the late 1980’s. In July 2010, Frontier added customers in many new Illinois areas as part of a 14-state transaction with another company.
PCI hires two new fall interns- Tara Holcomb, Sep 2, 2011
Staff from PCI recently attended the Foot in the Door Fair at the University of Illinois at Springfield. We are pleased to welcome our two new fall interns, Shannon McFarland and Shelva Stinson.
- Including agriculture in the broadband plan
- Sep 1, 2011
- Illinois farmers have been taking a new approach to managing their crops, with a little innovation and a little assistance from their cell phones.
- Wabash Telephone Co-op to receive $21.8 million from the USDA for rural broadband expansion
- Aug 25, 2011
- Wabash Telephone Cooperative has been notified it will receive an Infrastructure Loan Award of approximately $21.8 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utility Service to expand rural broadband internet access. The cooperative was one of 18 recipients chosen to receive a low interest loan to provide broadband services to unserved and underserved rural communities.
- Illinois among states getting broadband funding
- Aug 23, 2011
Telecommunications companies in 16 states will be sharing more than $103 million in federal funding to help expand broadband Internet access to rural America. Illinois is a big winner with a $22 million award to Wabash Telephone Cooperative to install 777 miles of fiber-optic cable. That will affect about 2,400 of its customers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the grants and loans through its rural development office on Monday.
Facing Tempests in Today's World: Preparing for Disasters Large and Small- Layton Olson, Aug 22, 2011
- In creating "safe and healthy" communities, Federal, state and local public safety and health communities and service organizations get stronger, more intelligent and accurate in communicating with everyone as they build social networks in every street and road.
PCI Releases 'Broadband Access in Illinois' Baseline Study of Supply- Aug 15, 2011
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, August 15, 2011 - The Partnership for a Connected Illinois on Monday released "Broadband Access in Illinois: A Baseline Snapshot," summarizing the state of broadband supply in Illinois.
The report, a product of data and geographic analysis by the PCI Data Team, provides a useful summary of the broadband supply information that has been collected and published on the Broadband Illinois web site since February 2011, and which is currently being updated with new, fresh data.
The report is available at this link.
This statewide baseline inventory for supply of broadband aims to quantify what is currently known about broadband providers within Illinois. It is an important prelude to other efforts by PCI, including PCI's Request for Proposals on Technical Assistance for Broadband Planning and Adoption. (See http://broadbandillinois.org/Use-it/Opportunities.html for further information.)
Measuring Broadband Use and Adoption is the Next Frontier in Internet Data Collection- On Broadband, Aug 9, 2011
By Drew Clark
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, August 9, 2011 - It's very easy to take broadband for granted. People want to go online to look up answers on Wikipedia, to watch movies on Netflix, to hang out on Facebook, or to Skype cousins across the globe -- or across town.
None of this can be done without broadband. Higher and higher speeds of internet connectivity are necessary to satisfy everyone's demand to do all of these things at once.
That's where the Partnership for a Connected Illinois comes into play.
Does USF Reform Put RUS Loans at Risk of Default?- Aug 8, 2011
- Loans recently made to small telcos by the Rural Utilities Service would no longer be “financially feasible” if the FCC caps the Universal Service fund, according to data filed by the RUS with the FCC last week. The telecom group of the RUS, part of the Department of Agriculture, has historically funded telecom and broadband network construction throughout rural America
Obama's jobs bill includes something for wireless- CNET NEWS, Jul 28, 2011
- President Obama included authorization for incentive wireless spectrum auctions and spectrum reallocation for public safety as part of his American Jobs Act.
- 5 Steps for Economic Vitality – Broadband as Nervous System of the Body Politic
- Layton Olson, Jul 26, 2011
Better Internet is good business for everyone in Illinois -- residents, business and public institutions alike. Economic opportunity – for all residents, businesses, communities and regions -- is National Need #2 in FCC National Broadband Plan. Broadband, as the nervous system of our local and regional economies, improves communication "nodes" linking and building flexibility and responsiveness in all parts of a healthy community's natural, built and people environment.
This week on the Illinois Channel: SIU President Glen Poshard shares insights on how broadband may shape higher education in Illinois- Jul 13, 2011
From Southern Illinois University in Carbondale: we hear an address by SIU President Glenn Poshard where he shares his insights as to how broadband communications may shape the future of higher education in Illinois.
- This week on the Illinois Channel: Graham Richard discusses broadband's impact on the economy of a community
- Jul 13, 2011
This week on the Illinois Channel:
From Southern Illinois University in Carbondale we hear from Graham Richard, the former Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, who embraced broadband communications as a way to improve city services and attract more businesses to his community. Mr. Richard spoke to a broadband conference at SIU about the ability of broadband communications to improve the business climate for a community.
Connected Living Program to get seniors online- Jul 11, 2011
Connected Living Program to get seniors online at the Western Illinois Area on Aging Office. Innovative technology with personal training allows tenants to explore and use the web.
- Construction firm hired for broadband project
- Jul 11, 2011
Freeport, Ill. - PirTano Construction Company, based in Addison, has been hired as the first contractor for the $69 million project to establish a new broadband network in this region.
- Library technology grants aimed at jobs
- Jul 5, 2011
- Freeport is among 41 libraries and community college learning resource centers that will share in a nearly $1 million grant awarded to the Illinois State Library to enhance broadband computer access to citizens across Illinois.
New Grant Opportunity: Digital Media for Learning in Libraries and Museums- Tara Davlin Holcomb, Jul 1, 2011
The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation identifies YouMedia as a model for libraries across the nation. The foundation’s new grant program, in conjunction with the federal Institute of Museum and and Library Services, plans to open 30 YouMedia learning environments in libraries and museums nationwide, said Connie Yowell, the foundation's director of education. Up to thirty prototype labs at up to $100,000 per lab will be funded. The deadline is August 15, 2011.
- Healthcare and a Digital Card in Every Pocket
- Layton Olson, Jun 29, 2011
Healthcare and a Digital Card in every pocket
It is fit that Broadband Illinois – with its focus on Broadband for Better Lives -- begin its regular Broadband Voices Blog with the topic Life and Health. Healthcare is also National Need #1 in FCC National Broadband Plan issued in 2010. http://www.broadband.gov/
- ETeams Bring Leaders Together to Improve Jobs, Education, Healthcare and More
- Jun 27, 2011
- Wednesday Webinar Series Continues June 29 at 2 p.m.
- Bringing Millions of Dollars for Broadband to Southern Illinois
- Tara Davlin Holcomb, Jun 24, 2011
With nearly $250 Million in Federal and State funds going toward building high-speed broadband networks across Illinois, we hear a panel discuss how this could change the way we operate our schools, our businesses, and our government services at the Broadband Summit in Southern Illinois on June 2nd, 2011.
Uploaded by IllinoisChannelTV on Jun 21, 2011- Video clip of President Glenn Poshard speaking at the Broadband Summit available
- Tara Davlin Holcomb, Jun 24, 2011
- SIU President Glenn Poshard speaks on the accomplishments of improving high-speed Internet access in Southern Illinois, during a regional summit Thursday at SIU Carbondale.