JoCarrol Energy Cooperative, founded in 1939, also received $6 million to complete connections to over 1,500 homes and businesses across Carroll, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Whiteside Counties. Currently, its telecommunications division accounts for a relatively small but growing proportion of the services it provides to its more than 14,000 members across the state. The Illinois Electric Cooperative got a little under $3.5 million to build out symmetrical 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) last-mile connections to 746 unserved households and 95 businesses, farms, and community anchor institutions in Calhoun County. In total, providers representing local control and democratic decision-making did well. and key regional education campus facilities.” Their application committed to focusing “on fiber paths that will provide distribution and host last mile service platforms addressing those communities with the greatest need, municipalities with no fiber assets.

CSFN provides backhaul services to many, including the Illinois Century Network - which serves over 3,400 public K-12 schools, universities, and libraries. For example, Cook County received a little under $2 million to expand its Chicago Southland Fiber Network (CSFN). First-round winners consist of both middle- and last-mile builds touching at least 27 counties throughout the state. The Broadband Grant Program offers applicants up to $5 million in funding for projects with the stipulation that they match it with an equal or greater amount of other, nonstate funds.

It represents the first milestone in what is a significant commitment to closing Illinois' broadband gap. Together they total $50 million in state funds matched by $65 million in additional money for 28 projects by 18 different Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that will, ultimately, connect 26,000 homes, farms, community institutions, and businesses in the state. A year ago we wrote about Illinois’ $420 million commitment to broadband expansion, and now the first round of grant winners has been released.

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