Illinois is Committed to Changing the Broadband Affordability Picture

The digital divide in Illinois remains wide and deep. At least 2.9 million individuals in 1.3 million households (roughly 28 percent) do not have a subscription to high-speed internet. This gap is driven by gaps in infrastructure availability, affordability of subscriptions or devices, and/or limited digital skills. The state of Illinois is committed to changing this picture. Digital equity requires affordable broadband. Today, most affordable subscription costs in Illinois range from $25 to $50, depending on the plan. In the statewide resident phone survey, 17 percent of respondents said they found it difficult to afford their internet bill, and 14 percent experienced disrupted service because they had difficulty paying. About 29 percent were categorized as “subscription-vulnerable” meaning—they have lost service because of difficulty paying broadband bills, find it very difficult to afford service, or live at or near the poverty line. Individuals in Illinois with an annual household income under $30,000 have a much harder time paying for internet services—67 percent of surveyed individuals in this group find it difficult to pay for service, versus 17 percent of the general population. They are 15 percent more likely to experience service interruption due to difficulty in paying, and 40 percent more likely to be subscription vulnerable. The state's strategy for expanding access to affordable plans relied heavily on the Federal Communications Commission's Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which ran out of money earlier this year. Illinois had hoped to address affordability and improve broadband adoption by increasing enrollment in ACP. Illinois' plan for just over $1 billion in Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding sets a vision for an Illinois with state-driven broadband ubiquity—and lasting broadband equity. Illinois seeks to ensure universal access to high-speed broadband that is affordable, reliable, and fully scalable for residences, businesses, and community anchor institutions across Illinois.