Community Broadband Development

Illinois Extension partners with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Illinois Office of Broadband, Illinois Broadband Lab, and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society to provide outreach and assistance aimed toward community and county broadband development and digital equity.

DESIGN

Survey Templates: BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE | BROADBAND ADOPTION

Contact us to launch your next survey and get assistance with planning, data collection, and analysis.

LEARN

ILLINOIS DIGITAL EQUITY CAPACITY (IDEC) GRANT SUPPORT

SERIES | This webinar series is part of the Illinois Office of Broadband and Illinois Broadband Lab’s efforts to educate potential grantees for the upcoming Illinois Digital Equity Capacity Grant.

CONNECT ILLINOIS ROUND 4 (BEAD) INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING

SERIES | Learn about various elements of the BEAD program, including topics such as fixed amount sub-awards, labor requirements, eligibility, evaluation, and more.

Digital Access, Inclusion, and Education

PLAYLIST | Learn about how to manage grants and gain skills to help access digital opportunities.

Digital Inclusion in your Community

Recording | Learn about the root causes of the digital divide, three key elements to digital inclusion, the power of digital inclusion coalitions, and funding. We will share examples of digital inclusion programs and coalitions throughout the country.

Broadband Build Out Webinar Series: Easements and Right of Ways

Recording | The Illinois Farm Bureau and Township Officials of Illinois discuss how to avoid conflicts with landowners and road authorities when building out fiber..

Illinois Broadband Grants: Application Process, Planning, and Preparation

RECORDINGS| Learn about best planning practices for infrastructure opportunities, the Illinois ACCELERATE collaboration opportunity, and Connect Illinois Round 3 infrastructure grants.

2023 Outreach and Impact

Broadband Deployment and Project Management

Illinois Extension reached over 5000 professionals by partnering in outreach and technical assistance aimed at community engagement, education, planning, and development for community-driven broadband expansion.

Digital Access, Equity, and Inclusion

Illinois Extension reached over 3500 professionals with education on broadband adoption, use, and how communities might close the digital divide and increase opportunities for residents to access high speed internet and digital opportunities.