Next-Generation Connectivity: Broadband in Illinois

 

Illinois is pursuing an ambitious vision to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and scalable broadband by 2030. Through state-led programs, partnerships, and innovation hubs, Illinois is positioning itself as a leader in digital equity and next-generation connectivity.

Illinois’ Digital Vision and Strategy

Illinois’ broadband strategy centers on Connect Illinois, a multi-year program launched in 2019 under the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois plan. The program emphasizes future-proof infrastructure, prioritizing areas without access to 100/20 Mbps wireline service and requiring builds that can deliver 100/100 Mbps or greater. Illinois complements buildout funding with digital equity programming to improve affordability, adoption, and skills, all guided by robust mapping and community listening tours conducted across all 10 economic development regions.

 

Key Initiatives

• Connect Illinois is the largest state broadband funding program in the U.S. with over $400 million in dedicated state funds and over $1.3 billion in federal resources flowing into infrastructure and digital equity, with Round 4 tied to BEAD funding.
• Illinois’ State Digital Equity Plan outlines affordability, adoption, and digital skills strategies, coordinated through the Illinois Office of Broadband and executed with community partners and universities.

Innovation and Industry Partnerships

• P33 is driving Chicago and Illinois toward becoming a tier-one technology and innovation hub, focusing on quantum computing, microelectronics, and inclusive growth. Through initiatives such as TechRise and TechChicago Week, P33 fosters startup systems, accelerates venture investment, and builds pathways for underrepresented founders.
• Innovate Illinois, a public-private coalition launched by Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration, coordinates efforts across business leaders, higher education institutions, and government to attract companies, investors, and high-paying jobs in four key areas, including quantum computing and microelectronics.
• XChange Chicago is a first-of-its-kind onshore IT delivery hub that redirects a portion of Chicago corporations’ $40 billion annual third-party IT services spending to local talent and minority-owned suppliers. This includes apprenticeships, wraparound services, and managed services projects to create career pathways. Xchange’s 28,000-square-foot Grand Crossing facility opened with SDI Presence as an anchor tenant.

University Leadership Initiatives

• The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) houses the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), the Illinois Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST), and institutes spanning AI, semiconductors, cloud, and cybersecurity. UIUC has long been established as a leader in academic research excellence. UIUC’s major scientific research lab, the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL), is celebrating its 75^th anniversary next year.
• The Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) leads the Infrastructure Technology Resources Consortium (ITRC), a partnership between the state university systems of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Northwestern University. This multi-state academic collaboration is advancing resilient, smart, and sustainable civil infrastructure systems, including smart grids and broadband initiatives for rural communities.
• The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) provides high-performance computing clusters and secure research environments through its Advanced Cyberinfrastructure for Education Research (ACER), supporting data-intensive projects in a variety of fields.
• The Illinois Broadband Lab is a research and mapping collaboration driven by the Illinois Office of Broadband and the University of Illinois system. These analytics inform funding decisions and local broadband plans, improving targeting of underserved locations and tracking outcomes.

Addressing Challenges

Urban deployments require coordination with municipalities, property and pole owners; rural builds face geographic barriers and high per‑location costs. Connect Illinois mitigates these through future‑proof build requirements, public funding, community planning, and diversified technologies (fiber, fixed wireless through 5G adoption, satellite for remote streaming access).

Future Outlook

Illinois’ Five‑Year Economic Growth Plan spotlights industries including quantum computing and microelectronics, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. Efforts such as the State’s $500 million investment in the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) are further proof that Illinois is positioning itself as a state ready for future developments in technologies, shaping the future of connectivity and long-term economic growth. Anchored by university research and coalition efforts, Illinois is positioned to scale industry partnerships that unlock new innovation, security, and productivity benefits statewide.

New Notable Developments in IT

Infleqtion will headquarter its global quantum computing operations in Illinois as a future tenant of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. The company is planning on investing at least $50 million in capital expenditure and will create dozens of new jobs. Infleqtion has deep ties to Illinois’ quantum ecosystem, with its Chicago-based software team originating from a University of Chicago spinout named Super.tech.

Google has called Chicago home since 2000 and is making a massive $105 million investment into renovating and expanding its Chicago headquarters at the historic Thompson Center. Construction of the building is set to be completed in 2027. Google plans to upgrade its Midwest HQ to a certified LEED Platinum, all-electric building.

Industries in Illinois

Information Technology and Telecommunications (2024)

• Jobs: 265K (#1 Midwest, #10 U.S.)
• GRP: $65.4B (#1 Midwest, #11 U.S.)
• Payrolled Business Locations: 29.3K (#1 Midwest, #7 U.S.)

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (2024)

• Jobs: 486K (#1 Midwest, #6 U.S.)
• GRP: $94.0B (#1 Midwest, #7 U.S.)
• Payrolled Business Locations: 60.6K (#1 Midwest, #6 U.S.)

Benefit From Our Broadband

Interested in learning about expanding or relocating into Illinois? Get in touch with our team today.