The city of Aurora is embarking on a program to ensure every city resident is connected to the internet.
To do that, the city must bridge the digital divide that exists in Aurora, just as it does throughout the United States. Officials are hoping to combine local, state, federal and private resources to build that bridge.
“We’re trying to bridge that gap between those who don’t have access and those who do,” said Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin. “We want every resident in the city of Aurora to have the opportunity to have access to everything.”
The city’s effort reflects a generally pervasive attitude nationwide since the coronavirus pandemic – that broadband connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
It is considered a utility, no different than electricity, heat or water. Robbie McBeath, program and communication coordinator for the University of Illinois system, called it “the new electricity” during a recent Illinois Broadband Lab hearing in Aurora.
Aurora once referred to its program as Smart City; they have changed it to Broadband as the Fourth Utility.
The digital divide stems from the simple concept that some people can afford to be connected, some cannot. During the pandemic, students had to work at home and either did not have broadband at home, did not have enough broadband power at home, or did not have the proper equipment to access broadband.
It was the same for adults in the workforce, and families who previously thought they had enough internet access to get by.
“Simply put, it’s the haves and the have-nots,” said Michael Pegues, chief information officer for Aurora.
That was the message at the recent Illinois Broadband Lab hearing in Aurora, held as part of a listening tour the lab is doing throughout Illinois on the problems of connectivity.
The Illinois Broadband Lab is a collaborative effort between the Illinois Office of Broadband, the University of Illinois system, the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, the Illinois Innovation Network and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The listening tour is designed to hear from people about their difficulties dealing with the digital divide.
The stories from that night, as well as what officials are hearing elsewhere, points out there is more than one kind of divide. There are places where broadband infrastructure is not available, and places where it is. But the divide also refers to things like availability of equipment, and availability of training.
Even if someone has access to wi-fi, it means nothing if they don’t have the equipment, such as a laptop or other computer, or even a smartphone, to access it. And having the equipment means nothing if someone does not know how to use it.
Clayton Muhammad, Aurora’s chief communications, as well as the equity and inclusion, officer, said during the pandemic, school officials had to scramble to help their students get connectivity at home.
The East Aurora School District, for instance, helped provide more equipment to students, but many of them had no access to the internet. The situation improved when the schools and the city opened centers that provided that internet access.
“They couldn’t just put the equipment in the home, they had to roll out wi-fi,” Muhammad said.
It’s no coincidence that East’s graduation rates have increased by 20% in the past five years, most of that during the past two years, he said.
Stories during the listening session also included professionals who had trouble. Hospitals and other medical professionals discovered they did not have the equipment they needed for full access; families discovered they did not have enough power in their broadband connection when three children were at home doing their schooling, along with mom and dad working at home.
Therein lies another issue with connectivity – power.
Pegues pointed out that the Federal Communications Commission regulates broadband, and they consider someone connected if they have 25 megabytes per second download speed, and 3 megabytes per second upload speed.
That is the basic speed offered by internet service providers. A consumer can get that basic level at a reasonable price.
“But we know that’s not sufficient,” Pegues said. “That’s barely enough to get email.”
Again, people who can afford more power can buy a higher level.
“The problem is, it’s socio-economic,” Pegues said.
The Illinois Broadband Lab categorizes the 25/3 megabytes per second up to 100/20 megabytes per second as “underserved.” The “unserved” category is below that 25/3 megabytes per second level.
Anything over 100/20 megabytes per second is considered “served.” That level allows five or more uses – things such as streaming television, web surfing, online homework, social media, job applications and searching for restaurants – at one time.
In the northeast region of Illinois, service availability would show that 98% of locations are served, with enough power, with the proper infrastructure. But only about 76% have broadband adoption, meaning they pay enough to subscribe to get the proper amount of broadband. That means 24% of those who live where they could get enough broadband cannot afford it.
In the state as a whole, that adoption rate is only 72%, and there is a higher percentage of places that don’t have the broadband infrastructure at all.
“The main barrier to adoption is cost,” said McBeath, of the Illinois Broadband Lab.
But Pegues and Irvin said even though Northeastern Illinois has a high level of broadband infrastructure, that does not necessarily apply to certain pockets of Aurora. There are parts of town still unserved by the proper infrastructure.
City officials want to remedy that.
The city has applied for $100 million from the federal Middle Mile Infrastructure grant that was part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021. It also has applied for $12 million from the state of Illinois’ broadband initiative.
Pegues said that money would go toward building out the infrastructure throughout Aurora for broadband connections, using the city’s fiber optic network.
That network currently is available to businesses and educational facilities, but the city would look for it to be available to every consumer, including households.
Both Irvin and Pegues said while the city helps provide the backbone, private business still must lead the way with wi-fi innovation.
Government can provide the necessary regulation, and some financial support. But private business has to lead the way because its resources are “better and deeper,” Pegues said, and it is “not caught up in all the politics.”
Irvin said while government should affect the market, rather than actually enter it, that changes “when we see a market that is not providing” what residents need.
“When it becomes a necessity, it’s up to us to step up,” he said.
As for better training, Aurora has started with its support of STEAM training through after-school and summer programs. That program has reached more than 2,200 disadvantaged youths in its three years, and it looking to reach more, Pegues said.
The program is a public-private partnership between Aurora, Elmhurst-based TinkRWorks and the Aurora Training Academy. Pegues pointed out that 75% of jobs require STEAM skills.
Irvin also said the city tries, through its Education Commission, to bring school districts together to share best practices and training ideas.
“We recognize that the future is here,” Irvin said. “We want to be a part of this digital community that’s being built.”
