Connect Illinois Digital Equity + Inclusion

The Connect Illinois program launched in 2019, pairing the then-largest state matching grant program for broadband expansion -- the $400 million Connect Illinois Broadband Grant Program - - with an appropriately ambitious commitment to digital equity and inclusion. The investment also included $20 million to enable the existing 2,100-mile Illinois Century Network to provide all school districts in the state with access to free gigabit broadband. Combined, the strategic capital investment sought to ensure that all Illinois households, businesses, and community anchor institutions had access to affordable, reliable, and high-performing broadband. At its core, the comprehensive Connect Illinois vision of broadband ubiquity is one of broadband equity – targeting resources to close gaps and expand opportunity for unserved and underserved communities throughout Illinois. To create an ecosystem of digital equity and inclusion, the State of Illinois introduced complementary programming to pair with its historic $420 million capital investment that, combined, seeks to address the three key pillars of digital equity: affordable in-home broadband service; access to personal computers; and digital literacy training and ongoing technical support. Over time, this approach has grown to include programs emphasizing local capacity building and planning, regional engagement, digital literacy, used computer refurbishment and distribution, and introduction of on-the-ground support for communities and broadband adoption assistance for households.