$1 Billion For High-Speed Internet Expansion In IL Approved

Illinois has been approved to receive over $1 billion in federal funds for statewide high-speed internet access, authorities announced Tuesday.

The $1.04 billion comes through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, and will connect about 350,000 residents statewide by 2031, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

“In 2026, Illinoisans rely on high-speed internet for telehealth, virtual learning, staying connected to loved ones, and job opportunities, but for many families, broadband access is unaffordable,” Sen. Dick Durbin said in the news release.

“Today’s announcement, that Illinois’ BEAD Program will receive $1 billion in federal funding, is a historic investment in closing the digital divide, putting internet access within reach for thousands of Illinoisans.”

Between private investment, prior public funding and the new money, total broadband investment will exceed $2 billion, according to the news release.

Illinois fought for months to obtain federal approval of its application for the newly announced funds, which was originally submitted in September 2025, according to the news release, despite federal policy committing to completing application reviews within 90 days of submission. Gov. JB Pritzker in the news release described the funding as being “held hostage by the Trump administration.”

The new funding will build on Connect Illinois, the state’s broadband expansion initiative to deliver high-speed internet to thousands of homes, according to the news release. Across the first three funding rounds, the program generated nearly $614 million in combined public and private investments, supporting projects led by 27 internet service providers and local governments to extend access to more than 44,000 households, businesses and community institutions. To date, over 20,610 households have already been connected, with thousands more slated to be set up in the coming months.

Pritzker and the general assembly launched the state’s push toward universal broadband access in 2019, the news release said, investing $420 million through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan and establishing the Illinois Office of Broadband within the commerce and economic opportunity department.