BROADBAND BREAKTHROUGH
AN INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING PROJECT
Fast, reliable internet for all of Hancock County, IL
Grow Hancock Broadband is a cooperative effort to bring faster, stronger, more reliable internet services to Hancock County, specifically focused on agriculture and the rural parts of the county. In the near future the federal and state governments will be making funds available to connect broadband further into these areas and we want to be ready when they do.
The initial goal of the project is to gather data. We need to know who has fast internet, who has slow internet, and who has no internet. From there we can begin to formulate a plan that organizes the data so that when grants become available, we're ready to go after them.
This is where you come in. We need your help gathering data. Below is a link to a survey that we hope every Hancock County resident will take the time to fill out. Within the survey is a speed test that will allow us to see the upload and download speeds of your service. We ask that you fill it out at your home, business, and/or farm (as long as they are in Hancock County). When you're finished all that we ask is that you ask your friends and family to fill it out too.
Of course, if you're interested, you can find out more about the project, it's potential effects on the economy of our county, after we are finished with the planning program in May. If you're interested in helping spread the word please contact us, we'd love the help.
FAQ:
1 / What is "Broadband"?
The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access that is always on and faster than dial-up access. For the purposes of our program we say "Broadband is fast, reliable Internet."
2 / What will happen with my survey information?
The information you offer in the survey will be turned into data that the University of Illinois Extension Office will receive and process for our planning team. Once processed we will use the data to help create a report showing the need for better broadband service in Hancock County. The report will be used to apply for (and hopefully receive) future grants. No personal information will be used outside of this capacity without your consent.
3 / What happens next?
When the 16 week program is done, we will have a more comprehensive idea of what needs to happen. The report that is created will help guide us as we apply for grants and as we decide what the most effective route is. We wish that we could offer everyone fast, reliable internet right now but unfortunately, we don't have that capability. This is a first step to what we believe is the future of broadband in Hancock County.