Patrick Wade

After more than a year in waiting, residents who committed hundreds of thousands of dollars toward the expansion of Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband finally have an answer about its future.

During the next few years, officials, the network will be built out to the rest of the cities -- a crucial step forward in keeping the system afloat over the long run. And much as they envisioned, it will be a private company that comes in to do the work and provide the service.

Family Video subsidiary iTV-3 will take over the operation, maintenance and customer service of what's now operating as UC2B. The network's 1,100 customers will be allowed to continue on their existing contracts if they choose.

Moving forward, however, they will get their service from the private provider instead of UC2B. But the linchpin of the deal has bigger ambitions: iTV-3 also plans to build out the high-speed fiber network to neighborhoods where at least half of the residents agree to purchase a subscription. That means hard-wired and high-speed Internet, TV and voice connections to homes which can muster up support in their areas.

Officials hope that, eventually, the high-speed fiber network will reach every home in the community. "It was articulated that that was what we would need to sustain this and grow this," said UC2B manager Sabrina Gosnell.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler said, "Congratulations to Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) and iTV-3 on making gigabit services over fiber available throughout the community. This public-private partnership provides a valuable model for communities and companies throughout the country and a demonstration of the creativity that is stimulated when localities are free to work with the private sector to improve broadband offerings."