WASHINGTON, DC – Wednesday, Congressmen Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) and Darin LaHood (IL-18) applauded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announcement to authorize more than $35 million for rural broadband deployment and development in Illinois.
The authorized resources from the Connect America Fund includes more than $9.3 million specifically directed to Bureau County and Stark County, which has been designated for 3,825 unserved locations according to the FCC’s recent announcement (attached as a PDF and available online here).
“This news from the FCC is a huge win for my constituents who live in rural areas and have little to no broadband internet access. The gap in broadband services between urban and suburban areas compared to rural areas is stark and unacceptable," Congressman Kinzinger said in an issued statement.
Kinzinger said there is a need to ensure rural communities like his are able to attract and retain businesses, close the gaps in education, help farmers increase efficiency, facilitate telemedicine initiatives, and more.
“While more work needs to be done on this front, I join my colleague Rep. LaHood in applauding this FCC announcement and look forward to the day when our constituents have proper access to broadband internet service,” he said.
“In central and west-central Illinois, access to reliable and fixed broadband is essential for my constituents and I am pleased to see this significant investment into rural communities in our state,” said Congressman LaHood. “As we work to close the digital divide between rural and urban America, this investment will provide much-need access to high-quality broadband and improve connectivity for families around Illinois. I applaud the FCC for their commitment to rural communities across the 18th District.”
As co-chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus and a member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Congressman Kinzinger has been a staunch advocate for bringing rural broadband access to rural communities in his Illinois district and across the country.
