Illinois among states getting broadband funding

Published: August 23, 2011

David Villano with the U.S. Department of Agriculture says “Everybody in rural America is important.  There are great opportunities for jobs in rural communities, and it’s a good place for major companies to look for employees with teleworking and remote working. It’s an excellent workforce.”

Villano says those seeking broadband access should be able to get speeds up to three megabits per second. He says what used to be top of the line, 1.5 megabit DSL service, no longer cuts it.

“If you want to operate a business for healthcare, for… you know, families that have one or two computers, 1.5 megabits isn’t going to be sufficient,” he explains. “Particularly for the type of applications people are moving more and more to.”

Villano says the money is now available, although the loan’s term and interest rate will depend on the type of project.