Affordable access to broadband internet isn’t a new topic. For decades, communities in northeastern Illinois and elsewhere have been planning for broadband infrastructure capable of delivering reliable and fast internet speeds for residents. But the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the challenges many people face with accessing high-speed internet service.

The proliferation of remote work and online learning during the pandemic has amplified the importance of addressing inequities that come with internet access — commonly referred to as the digital divide. In the past, planners have focused on building infrastructure to improve access in rural areas, creating fiber, wireless, and several other connections that allow users to download content at a minimum of 25 megabits a second. To meet the new demands spurred on by the pandemic, planners are starting to focus their efforts on ensuring affordable, accessible, and reliable internet service in all areas, including communities that may not be ready to afford it.

ON TO 2050, the long-range plan for northeastern Illinois, recommends communities align infrastructure investments to address the unique needs of disinvested areas. Additionally, ON TO 2050 outlines why enhanced attention to broadband infrastructure is a critical component to identifying public investments that could catalyze emerging technologies. Broadband access affects a range of community priorities, including access to education, health care, work, transportation, and civic engagement.

Access to broadband is more important than ever, and new laws like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides $65 billion in funding for broadband planning and investments, offer a pivotal opportunity for communities to implement these critical improvements.

The digital divide is the gap between people who have access to broadband and those who do not. A lack of access is not just about high-speed internet availability, but also the challenges that some face, like being able to afford the hardware and lacking digital literacy to use devices or connect to the internet.

In northeastern Illinois, progress has been made in addressing the digital divide and improving broadband access for communities, both in infrastructure deployment and access. But the pandemic has intensified these challenges, widening existing inequities for many people.

Home broadband is a necessity. However, 44 million households do not have a broadband connection, either because they do not have access or cannot afford it. According to a recent Pew Research report, Black and Hispanic households nationwide are less likely to have a broadband connection or computer in the home. This is true for northeastern Illinois. The 2015-2019 American Community Survey (ACS) indicated that fewer Black (66.3 percent) and Hispanic (73.8 percent) residents in the region lived in households with broadband subscriptions than white residents (78.4 percent).

Affordability is a key determinant of access. Even in communities blanketed with cable and fiber infrastructure, many people cannot afford to pay their monthly internet bill or buy a home computer to use it. According to the 2015-2019 ACS survey, 84.6 percent of households in our region have a broadband connection of some type (when including cellular data subscription), and 95 percent of the region’s households with an annual income of $75,000 or more reported a subscription to broadband internet. For households earning less than $20,000, however, only 58 percent have a broadband subscription. Unaddressed, this disparity likely will exacerbate an opportunity divide.

Planners play a key role in addressing the digital divide and ensuring communities in northeastern Illinois have access to broadband internet. As with all infrastructure projects, planners must identify existing assets and gaps, understand community priorities, and develop strategies to fund and deliver projects that achieve community goals.

Communities need to integrate broadband planning as a critical component of their long-term visions alongside standard plan considerations, such as housing, transportation, and environment. In the near term, planners can address broadband planning in their communities and set a path toward more equitable internet access in several ways:

Include broadband in comprehensive plans.

Some states that mandate comprehensive planning, such as Georgia and Virginia, now require communities to include broadband. The U.S. Census Bureau data analysis on broadband infrastructure coverage and use should be included as critical community characteristics when considering plan recommendations.

When developing a comprehensive plan, planners should include broadband infrastructure in their review of existing conditions, public engagement, and plan recommendations. Planners should analyze available spatial data on broadband infrastructure to assess coverage and inform plan recommendations. Officials also should engage residents to help them understand access barriers and prioritize projects that can address the digital divide.

Initiate strategic plans and feasibility studies.

Planners can serve communities by completing broadband strategic planning at neighborhood, municipal, subregional, and county levels. Communities throughout the region need assessments around conditions, assets, and barriers to access, as well as strategies that provide a path for broadband coverage.

Illinois provides numerous planning resources that can be leveraged by communities to close the digital divide and align local planning. The state has established the Illinois Office of Broadband, completed the Connect Illinois Broadband Strategic Plan, and created the Illinois Connected Communities (ICC) program, which provides communities with grants and planning assistance. The ICC provides a year-long curriculum and supports local planning efforts to expand broadband and improve internet access in community and economic development, education, civic engagement, health care, agriculture, and other areas. The Illinois Office of Broadband also recently announced awarding $350 million in grants to promote broadband access as part of a third round of Connect Illinois funding. The office said it will accept and award grants to applicants on a rolling basis through 2024.

Refine tools to plan for broadband.

In Georgia, the Institute of Government recently improved mapping methods to better measure access within census tracts and develop solutions through more granular mapping of households served. This effort revealed poorly connected census tracts that were previously incorrectly categorized as well-connected. Illinois also hosts broadband data and in July 2021 launched a statewide interactive map that allows users to assess the attributes of broadband access.

Build multi-jurisdictional coalitions.

In 2013, McHenry County, Woodstock, McHenry County College, and Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 formed a consortium to address the lack of broadband infrastructure. The group was created to work collaboratively and identify more than 15 miles of infrastructure to expand broadband access across boundaries and achieve cost savings. Construction of this segment was completed in 2018, and the group is currently planning further expansion. The initial effort began with community engagement and data analysis to understand local needs and leveraged the partners’ consensus to access funding and accelerate deployment.

Develop programs and policies to decrease the digital divide and implement plans.

Across the country, creative solutions are being explored to address the digital divide. In Chicago, the Coalition for a Better Chinese-American Community began hosting digital literacy workshops for Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese speakers to teach basic skills, like accessing the internet and fraud protection.

Chicago Connected, a public-private partnership that launched in June 2020, works with local internet service providers to offer high-speed internet at no cost for eligible families. The program is ambitious, seeking to provide citywide access for students in need through 2024. Partners came together during the pandemic to address the widening digital divide, develop a project proposal, and deploy it to strengthen community resilience.

Cook County has led digital equity efforts through projects, such as the Chicago Southland Fiber Network. Partners have developed the network over the past decade and recently awarded nearly $2 million in Connect Illinois funds to expand it to additional communities.

Planners are well-suited to foster collaborations between local governments, states, and telecommunications companies to provide equitable broadband access for communities. Additionally, planners can identify funding sources aligned with community needs and help craft data-driven, high-quality grant applications to obtain infrastructure funding. Planners in areas that have the infrastructure but are faced with affordability challenges can build programs to connect people to public access points, publicize low-cost subscriptions, and ensure community partners offer digital literacy education.

In northeastern Illinois, successful efforts to decrease the digital divide and strengthen broadband access have resulted from collaboration and planning. By understanding access disparities and the positive outcomes of addressing them, governments are stepping up with funding and resources.

With federal support for broadband planning and infrastructure investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, communities in northeastern Illinois should prioritize participation and advocacy efforts, and put initiatives in motion to plan for broadband improvements. Communities also can use the resources below to connect with Illinois, county governments, and other partners for their work to eliminate the digital divide and ensure an inclusive and thriving region.

• Broadband: Get Started Today
• Broadband Access Initiative, Pew Charitable Trusts, Inc.
• Connect Illinois: State of Illinois Broadband Expansion Program
• Digital Equity Playbook: How City Leaders Can Bridge the Digital Divide
• Federal Communications Commission Broadband Data Collection Resources
• How COVID-19 Has Underscored the Digital Divide
• Illinois Connected Communities Program
• Internet Access: A Right or a Privilege?
• National Digital Inclusion Alliance