Western Illinois rural broadband receives boost

High-speed internet connectivity in Western Illinois took a step in the right direction last week.

An $18 million ReConnect Program grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) was awarded to McDonough Telephone Cooperative to help deliver broadband access to rural communities in Hancock, Henderson, McDonough and Warren counties.

U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen (IL-17) made the announcement during a media conference Friday, Feb. 24, with Xochiti Torres Small, USDA’s Under Secretary for Rural Development.

During their joint appearance, Mr. Sorensen and Ms. Torres Small also hosted a roundtable to discuss the investment with some of the rural communities affected. Among those attending were representatives from Carthage, Hamilton, Oquawka, Roseville and Stronghurst.

“While traffic on the blacktop to and from Abingdon or Galva to Galesburg doesn’t need to be four lanes, we need to make sure every place in between is connected to the information superhighway,” Mr. Sorensen said.

“And this is required now for us to make a living here. This is required now for us to receive an education – our kids have to get their homework done. This is required to access telehealth appointments, so our senior citizens can meet with their doctors from home. And also so our senior citizens can talk with their grandkids on Zoom.”

The ReConnect Program awards grants to applicants who serve an area that lacks access to download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) — and upload speeds of 20 Mbps.

“Access to high-speed internet is critical for businesses and working families, whether you live in rural communities or urban areas,” Mr. Sorensen told the QCBJ in an email on Monday, Feb. 27. “As we continue to expand broadband access through mechanisms such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I will continue to put the residents of Central and Northwestern Illinois first, advocating to expand broadband in places like Mercer County and elsewhere in our region.” 

The grant applicant must also commit to building facilities capable of providing high-speed Internet service at those speeds to every location in its proposed service area. 

“A nearby Chamber of Commerce is excited about this technology getting closer and closer to reaching their area – and recognizing this is going to impact farms and farmers,” Ms. Torres Small said.

“We know that by investing in rural communities, we are investing in places getting the work done for our entire country. And when rural places thrive, we all thrive.”

McDonough Telephone Cooperative said the grant will fund a network connecting 1,583 people, 274 farms, and 41 businesses. 

“We are proud to receive this award and look forward to expanding reliable fiber broadband to the underserved and unserved rural areas of Western Illinois,” said Jay Griswold, president and CEO of McDonough Telephone Cooperative. “We are excited to be able to finally connect locations like the Macomb Airport and many family farms who lack access to high-speed Internet today.” 

While this grant only covers the counties directly south of Mercer County, Mr. Sorensen noted other rural areas in the Illinois Quad Cities should celebrate the announcement, too.

“In my previous life, I’ve told you to stay tuned a few times,” said the former local TV meteorologist. “Well stay tuned, because there is more coming up — because we’re not going to stop here. I look forward to working with the under secretary and others to close the digital divide and connect our rural families to the world.”

The Mercer County Board is actively working toward that goal, as discussed in a “Fiber to Farms” package earlier this year in the QCBJ. 

Kasi Henshaw, economic development consultant for the Mercer County Board, said the county and its four local Internet Service Provider partners are awaiting Round 3 grant decisions this spring from the Connect Illinois program.

The telephone companies in New Windsor, Viola, and Reynolds — as well as Galesburg’s Nova Cablevision – are working together with the county on an upgrade that includes bringing 70% fiber coverage to the area by 2028.

The project, with a pre-pandemic estimated cost of $18 million, hopes to begin construction as early as this year.

“What does it mean if a child in a rural community doesn’t have the ability to learn? What is the effect on our society? What is the effect on our region?” Mr. Sorensen asked. “What is the impact if we don’t connect our farmers to the information superhighway?

“We have to make sure we are investing in rural locations because these are the places that up to today have been left out — but we are changing that,” he added.