U of I introduces statewide ‘broadband lab’

Posted on February 22, 2023
The lab is a virtual one. The goal is to shake loose federal funds and attract them to Illinois. (Illinois Broadband Lab)

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – In the year 2023, you may be taking reliable, high-speed Internet for granted. But it’s still not available in some parts of Illinois.

That’s where the Illinois Broadband Lab comes in, as a creation of state agencies and universities. University of Illinois associate vice president Jeannette Tamayo says the numbers tell the story:

“We know that we have 285,000 households that have no basic access,” said Tamayo. “We know that we have over a million individuals who lack the devices or the skills to use the Internet. We have unincorporated areas that aren’t connected, and we have highly dense areas that aren’t sufficiently connected.”

The lab is a virtual one. The goal is to shake loose federal funds and attract them to Illinois.

broadband.uillinois.edu

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

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