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A computer router.<br>PHOTO:Asim Saleem/Wikimedia Commons

A computer router.
PHOTO:Asim Saleem/Wikimedia Commons

Rural IL Areas to Get High-Speed Internet

By AP

CHICAGO, IL - Thousands of residents in rural areas of Illinois will get access to high-speed Internet service for the first time under a federal government program.

More than a quarter of the state's rural population lacks access to high-speed Internet. Illinois has the 20th lowest rate of rural broadband availability in the country.

Nearly 16,000 residents will soon have access to affordable, robust broadband under a Federal Communications Commission program that has set aside $4.7 million in funds for Illinois.

The agency's Connect America Fund has an overall goal of connecting 19 million rural Americans by 2020.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski says "access to broadband means access to jobs and economic opportunity, in addition to better education and health care."

Published 11:47 AM, Thursday Jul. 26, 2012
Updated 11:03 PM, Tuesday Jul. 31, 2012

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- Name: M C.
  
  7/31/2012 5:58:46 PM
  
  Yeah, RR, if the government was the one who ran the fiber optic lines and then sent bills to those people receiving the service and they controlled what people could get to. But that ain't gonna happen. They will just write checks to some baby Bell or rural coop to run the lines and provide the service. I'd save the paranoid fears about government control for the gun control and health care threads.
  
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  Name: R. R.
  
  7/31/2012 6:43:53 AM
  
  V. Only government would spend thousands of dollars to clear forest when a tree might be in the way of someones satellite dish. The big picture here is the government is out to gain more control over people.
  
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  Name: V .
  
  7/30/2012 3:53:23 PM
  
  The connect america fund is a tax on your current phone service. everyone pays it, it's a public fund to ensure everyone has access to phone service. As to the comments on satellite internet, most people in rural locations don't qualify for access to satellite, without spending thousands of dollars to de-forest the area. even with that, the quality of service from satellite providers doesn't even qualify to be called broadband. For the price, you're better off getting a 3G MyFi from a cellular ISP instead of satellite.
  
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  Name: R. R.
  
  7/29/2012 4:36:47 AM
  
  They already have access through satellite also. I have a feeling Bobby is right.
  
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  Name: Bobby M.
  
  7/28/2012 11:24:27 PM
  
  The last federal grant to get high speed internet in rural southern Illinois went to a political insider. His company folded before anybody in Illinois got internet. His company recieved over a hundred million dollars and Virginia Tech University, which was already wired, was the only system that his company completed. I suspect this is just another political slush fund - We'll give you a hundred million dollars of federal funds and you bundle $500,000 of it for our campaign...
  
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  Name: Daniel B.
  
  7/28/2012 4:47:00 PM
  
  This is good because it will attract jobs. Employers want access to high speed internet.
  
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  Name: Judy T.
  
  7/28/2012 3:38:31 PM
  
  It's no wonder the federal government is broke. I keep hearing griping about supporting the poor, I bet the country could well afford it if they quit giving out all of the grant money.
  
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  Name: Peter P.
  
  7/28/2012 1:39:07 PM
  
  Is this really a smart way, for a broke state to spend money?
  
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  Name: PBT D.
  
  7/28/2012 1:30:06 PM
  
  If you live near a cell phone tower (who doesn't)you have access to high speed internet. Smart phones anyone? Air cards are also available to use your laptop.
  
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