For Broadband In Northern Illinois, The Future Is Now

A push to bring high speed internet access to smaller communities and rural areas was a key part of President Obama’s 2009 stimulus package. One of the first projects to gain funding in Illinois was the DeKalb Advancement of Technology Authority, or DATA. It was followed soon after by iFiber, a project to bring broadband to counties in north central and northwest Illinois.

Both are now moving from the construction phase to implementation. John Lewis is Director of the Regional Development Institute at Northern Illinois University. He’s overseen the development of DATA and iFiber, as well as another NIU-led broadband project, the Illinois Rural HealthNet, which links healthcare providers across the state. Lewis says a key to the success of these projects is the public-private partnership that developed them. That allowed the networks to be built and made available at a lower cost. Lewis says DATA and iFiber face two challenges going forward: first, getting the 500 community anchor institutions that will be part of the network- schools, municipal governments and the like-hooked up; second, finding ways to extend that network to the broader community.