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Batavia, Oct 4 - Today, Congressman Bill Foster (IL-14) joined Northern Illinois University officials to demonstrate some of the uses of the new broadband network and to discuss the potential for economic growth that will result from the network.  This new broadband network will be created using a $68.5 million grant that Foster helped NIU to secure.

“Broadband access, particularly in rural areas, is vital to our area’s current and future economic growth,” said Foster.  “NIU has made tremendous progress working with Internet2 and broadband networks in our area, making it the perfect institution to spearhead this promising project. High quality broadband infrastructure has been the catalyst for industrial growth in regions throughout the country, and although the jobs created in the short term will be significant, the real benefits will come from business expansion over time.”

Last month, Foster announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a $46.1 million grant from the Recovery Act that will allow NIU to offer affordable middle-mile broadband service in areas of northwestern Illinois.  Alongside this federal funding, an additional $22.4 million in matching contributions has been offered from the state of Illinois and project partners.  

Today’s event demonstrated the capabilities of this broadband, featuring real-time conversations with individuals in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Paris, France.  These individuals described how they have leveraged similar technology to deliver fine arts programming and education to rural areas, and to conduct collaborative research across continents.

NIU President John Peters said, “We are very proud to be leading this project, which will deliver a vital tool to northwest Illinois. Not only will it stimulate economic growth, improve health care and enhance education, it will also open the door to endless possibilities for research. This is exactly what a great public research university should be doing for its region, and I am very proud today.”  

The new broadband network project plans to improve broadband access for more than 500 community institutions, including over 190 K-12 schools, 80 public safety entities, 40 libraries, 100 government facilities, eight community colleges and 60 healthcare providers – with the capability to serve an additional 130 anchor institutions.

As many as 670,000 people stand to benefit along with 16,000 businesses. The project will also provide a foundation for economic growth and job creation for decades to come.