Fiber Internet Coming to Rural Champaign County

To the naked eye, it looks like a simple clear strand of thread so thin it could easily be missed. It’s made of glass yet is sturdy, flexible, and will last for decades. Through these tiny glass fibers, data is transmitted as light waves at the speed of light. This is fiber internet and soon a network of 124 miles of fiber backbone cabling carrying gigabit speed internet speeds will blanket rural Champaign County underground, ushering in new futures for thousands of people across our central Illinois countryside. This first phase of the project, known as CONNECT Champaign County (www.volo.net/connectcc), will bring fiber to 2,086 developed or undeveloped premises including 596 existing homes, farms, businesses, and anchor institutions. Future phases are planned, with a goal of eventually providing fiber service to every rural premise in Champaign County. While more urban residents in the county have for years enjoyed high and higher speed internet options, rural residents have long suffered in today’s highly technical age – and through COVID – with a stunning lack of adequate internet and internet connectivity. Yet rural residents and business owners have the same educational, workforce, community, healthcare, communication, entertainment and other needs—needs which today absolutely require fast internet connectivity. This will change beginning in October thanks to an infusion of $11.8 million in grant funding awarded to local internet service provider Volo.net Internet + Tech. In all, $4.7 million in funds came from Champaign County via federal ARPA funding and another $7.1 million was awarded from the State of Illinois’ Office of Broadband. Additionally, Volo is contributing a total of $1.24M to this phase of the project. “Over the past 20 years of our service to Champaign County’s residents, we’ve heard from thousands of neighbors in rural areas regarding their interest in fair, fast, fiber internet service,” said Volo Founder and CEO Peter Folk at a press conference held this morning on the site of one local farm that will receive the new service during the project period. “This project will literally transform nearly every area of their lives.” The Champaign County Farm Bureau played a critical role in making this project a reality. Former Farm Bureau Director Brad Uken helped foster interest by bringing stakeholders to the table and driving discussions. After Uken moved to take a new Farm Bureau role in Wisconsin, new Farm Bureau Director Bailey Conrady stepped in to propel efforts, including hosting a series of rural Barnstorming Listening Tours to get resident, farmer, and business owner inputs on the project and answer questions from rural stakeholders. “Connect Champaign County is today’s rural electrification project,” says Conrady. “For our rural people, this project is a must to keep up in today’s highly technical world. We are excited to watch this revolutionary access to gigabit speed, reliable broadband services transform lives, businesses, and agricultural operations in the coming months and years. And we are excited to watch how this technology changes how future generations grow up and work in our County.” “This project will usher in vast new opportunities for farms and businesses of all sizes across our county,” says Steve Sommers, County Executive for Champaign County. “Farmers can stay updated on fast-changing commodity pricing, market news, send planting and harvesting data to suppliers, and use modern farming equipment. And our rural businesses can pivot to virtual ordering, online payments, and new marketing initiatives, helping to drive our local economy and workforce.” “This funding is considered Phase 1 of Connect Champaign County,” says Folk. “We still need more funding to cover every rural parcel with this technology. Those efforts are already underway, and we pledge to continue to pursue all the remaining grant funding that’s needed to ensure future phases of Connect Champaign County happen. We won’t stop until everyone has the opportunity to connect to the internet using fiber technology. Volo.net Internet + Tech is an Urbana-based internet service provider founded in 2001. Working and serving local, the company provides affordable and equitable options for great connectivity to the rural and urban Champaign County community. More information about Volo can be found at www.volo.net or by calling 217-367-8656. More information on the Connect Champaign County project can be found at www.volo.net/ConnectCC.