Here’s what southwest Illinois communities are doing with money from broadband grants
The state of Illinois has handed out $73 million in grant money to help communities develop their internet infrastructure.
Here’s a full list of metro-east communities that received money in the first and second rounds of Connect Illinois grants along with project descriptions. Gov. J.B. Pritzker first introduced the program in 2019.
A third round is expected to distribute an additional $350 million, according to the state broadband office.
Bond and Madison counties
Provider: Allpoint NetworX
Amount: $2,679,502
Description: As a Broadband Access project, this middle mile and last mile deployment will serve a total of 926 premises, specifically 846 unserved households and 80 unserved businesses, farms, and community anchor institutions, located in Bond County and a portion of Madison County. In a funding partnership with the State of Illinois, Allpoint NetworX, Inc. will improve unserved areas to 1Gb per second download and 1Gb per second upload as demand warrants, with initial plans providing for 100 Megabits per second download and 100 Megabits per second upload, 250 Megabits per second download and 125 Megabits per second upload and 500 Megabits per second download and 125 Megabits per second upload. Bond and Madison Counties both have a strong agricultural industry with farming being one of the main sources of income for residents. Access to high speed internet will allow farmers to improve both quality and efficiency and become more competitive. With better broadband, farmers will be able to use more advanced technologies to track and monitor crop prices, weather, livestock, crop and soil quality, and inventory. Additionally, better internet will provide farmers, and small businesses in general, with more opportunities to sell and market products. Furthermore, advanced broadband will allow residents to access real-time services such as E-learning, video streaming and telehealth, as well as engage in telework. Access to high-speed, reliable broadband is a key ingredient in a community’s ability to grow and prosper. Allpoint NetworX, Inc. is committed to ensuring that customers have the necessary tools to succeed, especially during these uncertain times.
Calhoun County
Provider: Illinois Electric Cooperative
Amount: $3,443,670
Description: As a Broadband Access project, this last mile deployment will serve 746 unserved households and 95 unserved businesses, farms, and community anchor institutions in Hardin, Kampsville, Brussels, Winneberger, and Batchtown in Calhoun County. In a funding partnership with the State of Illinois, Illinois Electric Cooperative will improve unserved/underserved areas to 1 Gigabyte per second download and 1 Gigabyte per second upload. Building a fiber-to-the-premise network that provides advanced, high-speed broadband services to households, businesses and farms in the grant area improves access to critical school e- learning applications while also making agricultural operations more efficient and enhancing crop production through enabled precision agriculture tools. The broadband network will improve access to rural health care resources, and will stimulate a more robust local area economy. Reliable broadband will also allow Calhoun residents with the ability to telecommute to their jobs in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Clinton County
Provider: Spectrum
Amount: $107,416
Description: This Broadband Access project will provide broadband service to an underserved area in Huey, Illinois. The project includes 93 residential passings. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals. This project will build the necessary infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents through increased access to distance/remote learning, telemedicine services, and reliable connectivity for home-based or remote working business operations.
Jersey County
Provider: Grafton Technologies, Inc.
Amount: $1,483,007 grant
Description: As a Broadband Access project, this middle mile and last mile deployment will serve a total of 584 Premises, specifically 460 unserved households and 124 unserved businesses, farms, and community anchor institutions, located in parts of Jersey County. In a funding partnership with the State of Illinois, Grafton Technologies Inc. will build its network to provide broadband speeds capable of 1Gb per second download and 1Gb per second upload in the unserved area, with initial plans also providing for the following speeds: 5/5Mb, 10/10Mb, 20/20Mb, 30/30Mb, 40/40Mb, 50/50Mb, 75/75Mb, 100/100Mb and 1Gb/1Gb. According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, a part of Jersey County that is included in GTI’s proposed service area, Fieldon, IL located in English Township, is considered an opportunity zone. Consequently, the area requires long-term investment and job creation given that it is a low-income area of the state. Reliable, high-speed broadband is crucial for attracting long term investment and creating jobs in this area. Furthermore, better broadband will benefit farmers in the proposed communities in Jersey County by allowing them to employ more precision agricultural tools and become more efficient and competitive. Ultimately, building a fiber-to-the-premises network that provides advanced, high-speed broadband services to households, businesses and farms in the proposed portions of Jersey County improves access to critical school e-learning applications while also making agricultural operations more efficient and farming operations. The broadband network will improve access to rural health care resources and will stimulate a more robust local area economy. Given GTI has its own construction crew and equipment, GTI has the ability to construct and complete the project fully in-house. Therefore, GTI will be able to provide residents with access to broadband more quickly and efficiently.
Macoupin and Madison Counties
Provider: Madison Communications
Amount: $4,230,223 grant
Description: The last mile and middle mile Go Madison GigaSpeed 18 project by Madison Communications, Inc. will serve approximately 9,283 businesses, farms, households, and anchor institutions in Macoupin and Madison counties located in Southwest-Central Illinois. The Go Madison GigaSpeed 18 project will provide broadband data speeds at a variety of advertised data rates, with the capability of attaining speeds of 1 Gbps symmetrical or more to every location. Madison Communications, Inc. believes sustainable broadband adoption will transform these unserved areas into highly productive communities, opening doors to advancements such as precision agriculture. Given the current demand for advanced technologies and high-speed broadband, FTTP and DOCSIS 3.1 will empower the area by providing the opportunity to be proficient users of broadband technology. Education, health care, energy efficiency, and public safety will improve with high-speed Internet access.
Madison County
Provider: Spectrum
Amount: $29,555
Description: This Broadband Access project will provide broadband service to an unserved area northeast of Highland, IL, in the Bella Vista subdivision. The project includes 34 residential passings. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals. This project will build the necessary infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents through increased access to distance/remote learning, telemedicine services, and reliable connectivity for home-based or remote working business operations.
Madison County
Provider: Spectrum
Amount: $109,320
Description: This Broadband Access project will provide broadband service to an unserved area south of Troy, Illinois in the Equus Lane subdivision. The project includes 30 residential passings. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals. This project will build the necessary infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents through increased access to distance/remote learning, telemedicine services, and reliable connectivity for home-based or remote working business operations.
Metro-east
Location: Areas in or near Bethalto, Freeburg, Granite City, Lebanon, North Woodlawn, O’Fallon
Provider: Spectrum Mid-America (Projects 1 through 6)
Amount: $214,822 grant
These projects will provide a fiber/coaxial hybrid network to 7 unserved households just north of Lebanon; unserved households just northeast of Bethalto; 55 unserved households just north of Freeburg; 26 unserved households just northwest of Granite City; 7 households just north of Lebanon; 34 unserved households in North Woodlawn; 48 unserved households just north of O’Fallon. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals of 100/20Mbps. Charter would retain ownership of the broadband plant and maintain plant 24/7--365 days a year. All homes would have access to Charter’s full suite of services including Internet, Phone and Cable Television.
St. Clair County
Provider: Mediacom, LLC
Amount: $52,434
Description: This Broadband Access project in The Valley View Estates is a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial project that will extend existing infrastructure a total of 3.55 miles, with 0.94 miles underground and 2.61 miles aerial cable. This project will be completed within 12-24 months and will bring service with speeds up to 1 Gbps download and 50 Mbps upload to 29 existing homes and three lots that will developed into future homes.
St. Clair County
Provider: Spectrum
Amount: $99,556
Description: This Broadband Access project will provide broadband service to an unserved area south of Millstadt, Illinois in the Briars subdivision. The project includes 50 residential passings. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals. This project will build the necessary infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents through increased access to distance/remote learning, telemedicine services, and reliable connectivity for home-based or remote working business operations.
Washington County
Provider: Spectrum
Amount: $50,198
Description: This Broadband Access project will provide broadband service to an underserved area in New Minden, Illinois. The project includes 130 residential passings. Speeds up to 940 mbps download and 35 mbps upload will be offered to customers, exceeding the State’s 2028 speed goals. This project will build the necessary infrastructure to improve the quality of life for residents through increased access to distance/remote learning, telemedicine services, and reliable connectivity for home-based or remote working business operations.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 11:52 AM.