Broadband Illinois Launches New Web Site Promoting Tools, Research and Opportunity

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois, February 17, 2011 – Illinois residents can now discover who offers high-speed internet service in their neighborhood with a single mouse click or touch on a smart phone.

They do this by visiting http://broadbandillinois.org, a new site launched Thursday by the Partnership for a Connected Illinois (or Broadband Illinois), a non-profit group based in Springfield.

The web site offers a broadband location finder with detailed service provider information and assessments of internet speeds, as well as locations of community broadband providers.

Clicking on the home page map opens a side panel with broadband providers. Expanded results also show libraries, schools, and public building in the area with broadband.

Broadband Illinois is the State Broadband Data and Development designee for the State of Illinois. As part of the U.S. Commerce Department’s national broadband map — also being released Thursday — Broadband Illinois has collected and contributed broadband data to the national map.

The Broadband Illinois web site is built around open and transparent data-sharing tools. It aims to encourages user feedback as a means of helping to improve and promote broadband in Illinois.

For example, the site’s “Get It” section encourages citizens to get involved with Broadband Illinois eTeams. These community leadership groups are working to help connect rural residents and others throughout Illinois.

Additionally, Broadband Illinois highlights an important upcoming event on March 7, 2011, at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT. The event will gather leading State and national broadband practitioners around the social and economic impact of broadband investments. It will be hosted at Northern Illinois University in Naperville, Illinois, and will be streamed live on the new broadbandillinois.org web site.

“Illinois sits at the heart of our county’s transportation networks, and it also needs to be at the heart of our broadband infrastructure networks,” said Drew Clark, Executive Director of Broadband Illinois.

“This new site, which supports all aspects of our Illinois broadband program, aims to enhance the usefulness of the amazing repository of data in the National Broadband Map,” Clark said.

Broadband Illinois staff worked closely with the Chicago-based firms of Obtiva and Webitects in the development of http://broadbandillinois.org.

The site’s data components are built around an open source Application Program Interface. This FREE tool allows software developers to build upon, and add to, Broadband Illinois data.

About Broadband Illinois

Broadband Illinois, or the Partnership for a Connected Illinois, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in Illinois that collects and publish broadband data, seeks to ensure broadband access throughout the State, and maximizes broadband’s impact and use.

CONTACT:
Drew Clark
Executive Director, Broadband Illinois
413 West Monroe Street
Springfield, IL 62704
drew@broadbandillinois.org
217-886-4225