Governor Announces Expansion Of Broadband Project - The Demuzio Broadband Initiative
Bruce Montgomery
Governor Announces Expansion Of Broadband Project
by John M. Galer
http://www.thejournal-news.net/articles/2010/09/27/news/news01.txt
Governor Pat Quinn came to the county Saturday afternoon to announce the expansion of the Demuzio Broadband Initiative for broadband high speed internet in the rural areas of eleven new counties.
"Many folks were wondering why they didn't have access to the internet the way people in urban areas did," Gov. Quinn said. "We wanted to show what could be done in Macoupin and Montgomery counties and got $1 million appropriated for a pilot project, which was announced last year."
"Folks from law enforcement, education, Lincoln Land Community College, health care, clinics and hospitals were all contacted for their ideas on broadband needs," he added.
The initiative is named after the late State Senator Vince Demuzio from Macoupin County and will partner state government, local governments, Norlight, Motorola, and Royell Communications in Virden in an effort
aimed at stimulating economic development through increased broadband services. The Governor said the project was named for the late Sen. Demuzio, who “always cared about downstate rural Illinois.”
He stated that broadband is all about jobs whether in Litchfield or Carlinville, and now it has been expanded to eleven additional counties.
Included in the new high speed internet access expansion are the Illinois counties of Morgan, Bond, Christian, Calhoun, Fayette, Cass, Green, Jersey, Pike, Scott and Shelby.
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The expansion will include 72 towers to provide high speed internet at 5 mb/second to 190,000 homes, 9,337 businesses and 804 community institutions, including hospitals, clinics, libraries and city halls.
Funding for the expansion was made possible by a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture of which $12 million dollars has been allocated for the expansion.
The governor said that the initiative means American jobs for American workers.
"We'll need engineers, along with climbing and attaching personnel, maintenance and repair technicians," he said.
Mayor Tom Jones, thanked the Governor and Sen. Deanna Demuzio for being so instrumental in making this initiative possible.
He also mentioned former mayor Bill Cornman, Susan Brackenhoff, director of the Litchfield campus of Lincoln Land Community College, and Tonya Flannery, City of Litchfield economic development director, and thanked them for their input.
Senior network engineer of Norlite, Frank Buckleader, one of the engineers who helped develop the successful bid that enabled funding for the initiative, was introduced next. Norlite will be building the broadband expansion in Macoupin and Montgomery counties.
"In the 19th century we would be developing the railroads, in the 20th century it was the interstate road system, and now in the 21st century it is the broadband initiative," he said.
Sen. Deanna Demuzio spoke of her interest in doing things that create jobs.
"This was started with an initial $1 million for two counties," she said.
She explained that her late husband Vince, was not very internet savvy at first, but soon learned how much information was available and how to use it.
"He would hop on the computer, read newspapers, get information, and then be calling people," she said. "The internet was his information source. He died in April of 2004; think of how far we've come since then."
"Some rural homes don't even have internet, others have only dial up. We now can open the door to rapid information availability," she said. "Vince would have loved to truly be a part of this."
Gary Hannig, head of the Illinois Department of Transportation, and former state representative, stood in for his wife Rep. Betsy Hannig. He stated "that from time to time in the rural areas we have to look for ways to innovate, and stay current and competitive with opportunities."
"Franklin Roosevelt saw a problem and created rural electrics that electrified the rural areas. We've had the same things with telephones, the same thing with cell phones, we find we have to look for ways to be innovative," he said.
"This will help us be competitive with businesses in Chicago or in Shanghai. It is an opportunity for us, to be able and ready and a chance to define more jobs for communities in this region to compete on a world wide basis," he concluded.
Jim Pitchford, of Macoupin County Emergency Services, explained how broadband will help police, firefighters and ambulance personnel.
"It puts another tool in our tool box for emergency services to help save people," he said.
Economic opportunities for the initiative were highlighted by Heather Hampton Knodle, executive director of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation.
This project becomes a core economic project for the Central Illinois area, she stated. "In agriculture, real time market information is more important now than ever and can make a substantial difference in a farmer's bottom line," she said.
This wireless technology can enable a farmer to get the information from the cab of his tractor, without even going into the house and using the computer.
Another growth area in non- exportable jobs was in the health care sector, she stated. These are private sector jobs of which much of the money comes from government but is an area that has a one plus rating in growth in the number of jobs over the next six years, she said.
"This project in conjunction with the rural health net project, another federal grant, will enable better health care in rural Illinois than ever before," she said.
It is enabling education at home, she continued, explaining that her kindergartener and second grader "were doing homework on the internet, and I've been able to bring advanced information into my home for my kids."
Since last September, when the initative was started, Norlite and Royell Communications have been excellent to work with, she added.
The governor then introduced others attending who were part of the program. They included, Chris Sherer, City of Hillsboro; Sharon Kutchar, Jarod Hitchings, County Board member; Tom Jones, Litchfield Mayor; Bill Baran, Hillsboro Mayor; Sandy Leitheiser, Montgomery County Clerk; Terry Miller, Chairman Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation; Ben Royter, and Joe Royter, both of Royell Communications; Frank Buckleader of Norlite, Jim Pitchford, Macoupin County Emergency Services; Ron Deabenderfer, Montgomery County Board; Don Albracht Macoupin County Sheriff, Sheri Albracht, Macoupin County Economic Partnership.
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