Moving a Broadband Project Forward
Get a detailed overview of the steps necessary to implement a broadband project in your area. Guest communities and providers will share how successful projects begin, form, and launch.
Broadband technology enables residents to conduct business, work from home, attend school, drive innovation, and access remote healthcare services. But some rural and underserved urban Illinois communities with insufficient infrastructure or limited provider choices still find it difficult to gain access to affordable, high-performance broadband. Uncover strategies and opportunities to develop, fund, and deploy broadband access in your communities.
The free, online sessions held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (CT) are led by co-hosts University of Illinois Extension, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Broadband, and the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo, Community and Economic Development Extension Specialist, at esarey@illinois.edu
Broadband Leadership Series
The Community Role in Post-Pandemic Broadband Deployment (recording)
June 15 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Learn the basics of broadband leadership, the community broadband development process, current situational assessments, funding programs and tools, and successful project examples.
Broadband 101
June 29 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gain an overview of various technologies: fiber, fixed wireless, cellular, and satellite. This session will include a discussion of each broadband technology’s capabilities and relative cost differentials.
Broadband Funding and Partnerships
July 13 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Funding plays a major role in improving access to broadband. Learn about federal, state, and local financial tools to help your community move forward in the planning process. This discussion will include partnership examples ranging from market development, grants and loans, ownership, and operational models.
Moving a Broadband Project Forward
July 27 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Get a detailed overview of the steps necessary to implement a broadband project. Guest communities and providers will share how successful projects begin, form, and launch.
Broadband Adoption and Affordability: Ensuring Access for Everyone
August 3 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
With increase online activity on the rise in education, health care, government services, work, and entertainment, meaningful broadband access and skills become even more critical for those now least connected. Learn strategies for making broadband more affordable, equipping your community to make effective use of online tools, and understanding policies and programs that can make a difference.