Real Impact: Partnering to bridge the digital divide reaps rural benefits

Illinois farmers and communities need broadband internet to thrive. The Illinois Innovation Network (IIN) and its driven partners intend to make that happen by securing federal dollars earmarked for bridging the digital divide. IIN-funded research will help them make their case. It provides attention-grabbing estimates of how much more farmers could produce with reliable internet. Public university partners said the total economic gain of added production that would accompany increased broadband coverage is 3.6% for corn and 3.8% for soybeans. That amounts to more than $42 million in added revenue per year just in the five-county Broadband Breakthrough pilot, which includes Hancock County where Bryan Stevens farms. “Through Broadband Breakthrough, we’re spotlighting the benefits of broadband. When I share the data, people are shocked,” Stevens said about both the cost of adding access and how much more farmers could earn. Illinois State University researcher John Kostelnick and his team layered data about cropland use and broadband coverage to make their impact projections. That work provides a toolkit for other counties to assess potential broadband value. Broadband Breakthrough uses Kostelnick’s research and other selling points to inform and engage stakeholders, some of which could provide grants and other support necessary to gain federal funding. Powerhouse equity advocate the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society manages Broadband Breakthrough. “What makes the Illinois effort ‘right’ is the breadth of partners working together to deliver and execute the program, plus the Illinois Office of Broadband recognizes how important it is to have community involvement in broadband infrastructure planning,” Benton Institute Executive Director Adrianne B. Furniss said.