The Illinois Office of Broadband and University of Illinois System today announced the launch of the Connect Illinois Broadband and Digital Equity Planning Initiative. This year-long local coordination, engagement, and planning project will enable the state to receive the historic federal Digital Equity (DE) and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funds in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

The initiative will leverage growing capacity within the Illinois Broadband Lab, which leverages $12.5 million in state and federal funding to support and sustain current programming in alignment with federal funding requirements; design and implement complementary digital equity programming; and coordinate data collection, research, and publication.

“The Illinois Office of Broadband and our Connect Illinois program are rooted in cross-sector collaboration and public-private partnerships,” said Matt Schmit, director of the Illinois Office of Broadband. “The Illinois Broadband Lab continues this ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach to achieve universal broadband access and lasting digital equity – for all Illinoisans.” 

The planning work will build upon the Lab’s current Broadband READY program, which promotes and supports regional engagement for broadband adoption and digital equity in each of the state’s 10 economic development regions. READY is supported by the Illinois Innovation Network’s 15 hubs, many of which are leading regional planning groups. This framework makes engagement, assistance, and investment available to every community, organization, and household facing the digital divide.

“Our state’s public universities are a key driver of innovation leading to significant community impact and strong economic development throughout Illinois, and this partnership is yet another example,” said University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen. “Many of our public universities are leading regional engagement teams, the results of which will be combined to create our state’s broadband deployment and digital equity plans. We are grateful for our partners at the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, whose efforts will propel our state forward.”

To ensure that federal BEAD and digital equity funding addresses demonstrated barriers and needs – for instance, the 285,000-plus Illinois households without physical access to basic internet service and the over 1.1 million Illinois residents without the devices and skills to use the internet – the Illinois Broadband Lab will work with a wide range of community organizations, local governments, and broadband stakeholders to gather critical input. In order to make this work accessible to everyone, outreach and engagement will include: 

• Town hall meetings and small-group listening sessions to hear from residents and community organizations; 
• Webinars and information sessions with internet service providers and other private-sector stakeholders; 
• Workshops and small-group interviews with representatives from state and local governments; and 
• Phone and online surveys targeting historically marginalized groups to ensure that we understand the needs of the most affected populations. 

Public events focused on resident engagement will be coordinated with local community organizations, with a mix of in-person, phone, and virtual options to ensure they are accessible to all. Anyone can visit https://broadband.uillinois.edu/ or a local library for a list of upcoming opportunities like events and surveys or to learn more about the planning initiative, forthcoming federal investment, and the work of the Illinois Office of Broadband.