State of Illinois building Digital Equity Plan, holds Macomb townhall
MACOMB (WGEM) - Illinois Broadband Lab is hosting a series of townhall meetings across the state to develop a digital equity plan.
On Wednesday, two different meetings were held in Macomb.
Dozens of area residents, business owners and city officials were in attendance describing what their internet needs are. One of the broadband lab’s coordinators, Robbie McBeath, said learning what the region’s needs are will help shape the state’s plan.
”This has been something that the State of Illinois, the federal government and others have been working on for quite some time but it was ultimately the Coronavirus pandemic that I think ultimately brought the federal and state resources and dollars to the table and kind of enabled for these sorts of conversations to happen,” MacBeath said.
McBeath said the state’s plan could ultimately result in more funding for Illinois to expand broadband to underserved areas.
He said all 50 states in the U.S. are developing a plan that is due later this year and will be reviewed by the federal government.
In Hancock and Schuyler Counties there area already efforts underway to expand broadband to the area. Since Jan. 26, Hancock County stakeholders have met weekly in cooperation as part of the Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program through the United Soybean Board, Benton Institute for Broadband Society, the University of Illinois Extension and Illinois Soybean Association.
The last Hancock County meeting is Thursday, May 4.
View the Illinois Broadband Lab’s state map here.
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