URBANA, Ill. – 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.
A collaborative series aimed at extending critical high-speed internet access across Illinois will address key broadband issues to help city council and county board members uncover strategies and opportunities to develop, fund, and deploy broadband access in their communities. Register in advance: go.illinois.edu/LGE
The online sessions held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 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.
Sessions in the free series include:
- June 15: The Community Role in Post-Pandemic Broadband Deployment (recording)
- June 29: Broadband 101
- July 13: Broadband Funding and Partnerships
- July 27: Moving a Broadband Project Forward
- Aug. 3: Broadband Adoption and Affordability: Ensuring Access for Everyone
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Nancy Esarey Ouedraogo at esarey@illinois.edu.
SOURCE: Nancy Ouedraogo, Community and Economic Development Specialist, University of Illinois Extension
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.