3rd Annual Regional Broadband Summit in East Central Illinois

Need better broadband (high-speed Internet) service in your rural community, business, school or organization? Attend the 3rd Annual East Central Illinois Broadband Summit set for Thursday, December 6, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Education Center of Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System, Mattoon, to learn what public and private entities at the local, state, and federal level are doing to address broadband needs in the region. The Summit will bring together broadband vendors, industry experts, government representatives, and community leaders concerned with broadband advancement in our rural areas.

Exhibitors and presenters will offer information about broadband service options and planned broadband expansion projects in the region. This will include presentations by representatives of Broadband Illinois, Illinois Century Network, Illinois Rural Health Net, Consolidated Communications, Frontier Communications, Mediacom, Metro Communications, and many others. Attendees will also learn of efforts by organizations such as Lake Land College, Illinois Farm Bureau, Business Solutions Center at Eastern Illinois University, and Integrated Therapy Services (telemedicine) to improve Internet use by area citizens.

“Community leaders have been concerned about the access and quality of high-speed Internet services in our rural communities for more than a decade”, said ECIDC President Brian Moody. Moody also serves as Director of Tuscola Economic Development Inc. “Utilizing broadband and expanding its access to all areas in the region is vital to our economic growth and quality of life for our citizens”.

The event is hosted by East Central Illinois Development Corporation (ECIDC) and in partnership with Broadband Illinois. Broadband Illinois is a non-profit organization based in Springfield with a mission to collect and publish broadband data, ensure broadband access throughout the State, and maximize broadband's impact and use. ECIDC is a non-profit organization focused on positive economic growth and an enhanced quality of life for all residents in its 11-county region (Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Jasper, Moultrie and Shelby Counties).

The public is invited to attend. Admission is free, but pre-registration is required. Please register online by visiting www.ecidc.com or by contacting Jean Anne Grunloh, ECIDC Executive Director, at (217) 540-3517 or jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us. Registration deadline is December 1, 2012. 

For more information or to view the Summit’s agenda, please visit www.ecidc.com.