Kinzinger, LaHood hail new FCC rural broadband expansion funds in Illinois, nationwide

U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) on July 17 commended recent authorization by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of more than $35 million for their home state to expand high-speed broadband access in rural areas.

“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,” Rep. Kinzinger said. The congressman has been an advocate for expanding rural broadband access across the country in his roles as co-chair of the House Rural Broadband Caucus and as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

“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,” added Rep. LaHood.

The funding authorization is part of the FCC’s overall $524 million in funds authorized over the next 10 years to expand broadband to 205,520 unserved rural homes and businesses in 23 states, representing the third wave of support from the commission’s successful Connect America Fund Phase II auction held in 2018.

The FCC already authorized two waves of funding in May and June from last fall’s auction, which allocated a total of more than $1.48 billion in support to expand broadband to more than 700,000 unserved rural homes and small businesses over the next decade.

The authorized Illinois funds include more than $9.3 million targeted to the state’s Bureau County and Stark County, which have been designated for 3,825 unserved locations, according to the FCC.

“The gap in broadband services between urban and suburban areas compared to rural areas is stark and unacceptable,” Rep. Kinzinger said. “We need to ensure rural communities like mine are able to attract and retain businesses, close the gaps in our education, help farmers increase efficiency, facilitate telemedicine initiatives, and more.”

“As we work to close the digital divide between rural and urban America, this investment will provide much-needed access to high-quality broadband and improve connectivity for families around Illinois,” said Rep. LaHood.

Broadband providers will begin receiving funding this month, the FCC said, adding that it will authorize additional funding as it approves remaining applications of the winning bidders from the auction.