News tagged with rural Illinois

Broadband Innovation Fund, FISPA, CenturyLink, and More!
Read about the Broadband Innovation Fund, FISPA, CenturyLink, surveys and more in this edition of the Broadband Illinois newsletter, September 11, 2012.
Wireless Access Increases Sales, Access to Fresh Foods

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – September 7, 2012. More Illinois families will have access to affordable, local produce thanks to a federal grant that will double the amount of farmer’s markets using wireless technology to accept payment. 

Report Cites Broadband as Major Issue for Rural Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – September 7, 2012. Broadband infrastructure, access, and cost of service are top priorities for rural Illinois communities, according to a report published by Lt. Governor Shelia Simon’s office and the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs.
4SIWI Provides Wireless Service to Southern Illinois

“We started at my Uncle’s kitchen table,” said Ceci Perry Uban of For Southern Illinois Wireless Internet’s (4SIWI) humble beginnings. 

4SIWI started out as a plan to build out a fiber ring in Marion, Ill., with fiber to business connections, but grew when the company purchased the existing customer base of a wireless network of sixteen towers.

Vote to Find Wi-Fi in Rural Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - July 17, 2012.  Broadband Illinois has applied for a grant to help rural residents find Wi-Fi Hotspots in their area. 

Broadband Boosts Rural Business
You might not think farms have much need for broadband services, but in fact agriculture is being shaped by the services offered. According to the USDA report, Broadband Internet’s Value for Rural America, the more multi-faceted the farm business, the more the farm uses the Internet.
USDA Invites Applications for Grants to Provide Broadband Service to Remote Rural Communities
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is accepting applications through the Community Connect Broadband program for grants to provide broadband service to residents of remote, rural communities.
Telemedicine: The New Pulse of Rural Health Care
Right now, the state of Illinois is in the midst of developing its broadband infrastructure. And, there are so many interested parties out there, either keeping a watchful eye on the development, or actively taking a role in shaping the future of Illinois broadband that the situation can become very convoluted.
Co-op network hopes to bring broadband to more rural areas

A rural-electric transmission company is working toward a fiberoptic network that would reach schools, hospitals, businesses and homes in central Illinois with the kind of broadband speeds already available in more populated areas.

Jay Bartlett, president and CEO of Prairie Power Inc. in Jacksonville, said a group of rural-electric co-ops and telecommunications companies is working on establishment of a consortium to oversee the network.

Illinois Residents Invited to Participate in Important Broadband Survey

Results of survey will identify needs, promote statewide access to high-speed Internet

Illinois residents have the opportunity to shape the future of high-speed Internet in the state through a comprehensive survey deployed today by Partnership for a Connected Illinois. The results of the survey will serve as key components in the state’s broadband plan that will create jobs, improve medical care and enhance educational opportunities. 
The Rural Broadband Evolution
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some 70 percent of farms with sales of at least a quarter million dollars use the Internet for farm business, and more than 40 percent of smaller farms are online too. Meanwhile, new connected technologies that use GPS guidance and satellite imagery are infiltrating farms across North America and beyond. And a growing number of farmers are using the Internet to relieve loneliness via online dating sites dedicated to the community.
Partnership for a Connected Illinois 201 West Lake Street, Suite 102 Chicago, IL 60606 Phone: (773) 614-1930 telehealth@broadbandillinois.org