Illinois Plants 'Johnny Appleseed' Projects Promoting Broadband in State

In describing efforts to improve broadband in Illinois, Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn uses this analogy: "We have to be the modern-day, 21st century Johnny Appleseeds, planting good technology projects all over the state." Quinn already has a team full of "Johnny Appleseeds" working across Illinois as a part of his and Governor Rod Blagojevich's Broadband Deployment Council. Under the 2007 Illinois High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Act (SB0766) -- which established the council -- these seeds will ensure "that all state residents and business will have access to affordable and reliable high speed Internet services." Broadband investment and policy engagement have been hallmarks of the Blagojevich administration since it first established its "Eliminate the Digital Divide" initiative. It used funds received as part of the state's settlement of the SBC/Ameritech merger. Their goal has been to expand Internet connectivity in the most underserved parts of the state. Efforts like this have been expanded and supplemented by investments in telecommunications infrastructure by municipal governments, public private partners, and universities. Today, the primary goal of Quinn's Broadband Deployment Council is to coordinate and support the seemingly endless efforts by various stakeholders in Illinois.