State of Illinois, U of I System launch broadband, digital equity initiative

The Illinois Office of Broadband and the University of Illinois System announced the launch of the Connect Illinois Broadband and Digital Equity Planning Initiative. This year-long local coordination, engagement, and planning project will enable the state to receive the historic federal Digital Equity (DE) and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funds in 2024 and 2025, respectively. The initiative will leverage growing capacity within the Illinois Broadband Lab, which leverages $12.5 million in state and federal funding to support and sustain current programming in alignment with federal funding requirements; design and implement complementary digital equity programming; and coordinate data collection, research, and publication. The planning work will build upon the Lab’s current Broadband READY program, which promotes and supports regional engagement for broadband adoption and digital equity in each of the state’s 10 economic development regions. To ensure that federal BEAD and digital equity funding addresses demonstrated barriers and needs, the Illinois Broadband Lab will work with a wide range of community organizations, local governments, and broadband stakeholders to gather critical input. In order to make this work accessible to everyone, outreach and engagement will include: 

• Town hall meetings and small-group listening sessions to hear from residents and community organizations; 
• Webinars and information sessions with internet service providers and other private-sector stakeholders; 
• Workshops and small-group interviews with representatives from state and local governments; and 
• Phone and online surveys targeting historically marginalized groups to ensure that we understand the needs of the most affected populations.