News – Internet Freedom for McHenry County

The End of an Era.

April 23, 2023April 24, 2023News

To our supporters and members,

Like you, I see potential in McHenry County for first-class Internet services. I was inspired by that potential to build an organization where we can collaborate to advocate for better Internet infrastructure in McHenry County. Over the past five years, I headed the organization and spent countless hours advocating for Internet Freedom. Many of you heard my message and joined the cause. We built our membership, and the support we have gotten from you has been fantastic. While I am very proud of the progress we have made, our mission is far from complete. Unfortunately, I cannot continue to lead you.

Despite our efforts, the status quo has not made a significant shift. The County, cities, villages, schools, elected officials, religious, and other non-profit organizations heard our information and have refused to take a leadership role. Companies like AT&T, Frontier, Spectrum, and Comcast have refused to invest in McHenry County in any considerable amount despite their promises to do so. Since we started, we have presented to many governmental entities on what steps to take to improve things, but they have yet to take them. Internet Freedom for McHenry County obtained grant funding and consultancy support from the State of Illinois and Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. This funding led to a coalition of members from all parts of McHenry County that met consistently for six months. However, this has yet to spur additional action. Simply put, there is no political will.

I meditated for months on the situation as to what to try next. I realized that my feelings and priorities in life have changed and that time as the President of this organization has run its course. As a result, I decided to resign, which prompted the next steps in dissolving the organization.

On April 23rd, 2023, we met as part of our Annual Meeting, and we unanimously decided to dissolve the organization. We have taken steps to wind things down, and will be donating any remaining funds to Woodstock Pride.

If you have any questions or would like to start something up, please get in touch with me or others on our Discord server.

Thank you for all your support, and “So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Sincerely,

David Gutowsky
President of IFMC

Ice Storm February 2023

February 26, 2023February 27, 2023Broadband, Consortium, News

Hopefully, everyone survived the ice storm. From speaking with some members, members experienced internet and power outages for many hours. According to news reports, in Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and New York, high winds and freezing rains left some 900,000 homes and businesses without power on Thursday morning, according to Poweroutage.us. ComEd worked to restore power for over 23,000 households, mainly in our northern suburbs, after the storm hit.

There isn’t any information from the major news outlets about how the outage impacted many Internet customers, but the fact that there was an outage is unacceptable. Many communities with community-owned fiber-optic networks experience no downtime in similar weather because the fiber-optic lines were underground.

We checked with McHenry County officials to inquire if they had experienced any Internet issues. They experienced no downtime because back in 2015, they built their own community-owned co-op fiber-optic network, McHenry County Broadband Fiber Network Consortium (“Consortium”); now, their marketing name is 1447 Network, and put all of it underground.

If we had a free market in McHenry County, we would have experienced fewer or no outages with our Internet connectivity. The Consortium’s business model needs to be changed to provide a real viable alternative to our cable and telecom Internet providers in McHenry County. However, it has yet to, and thus our situation does not improve.

We can do better.

Contact your local elected officials. Make your story heard. Demand better infrastructure!

Illinois Connected Communities Grant Image

IFMC joins the Illinois Connected Communities grant program

June 24, 2021June 24, 2021News, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 23, 2021

Contact:
Lauren Huffman, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
lauren.huffman@illinois.gov

STATE OF ILLINOIS AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCE $150,000 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BROADBAND PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Illinois Connected Communities program combines innovative public-private partnership and community engagement to increase broadband access, adoption, and utilization across Illinois

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Broadband today announced its second cohort of the Illinois Connected Communities grant program, created to assist some of the most underserved areas of the state with building broadband capacity. Through a unique cross-sector collaboration, participating communities will have the opportunity to embark on a 12-month program to help them complete a community-driven, broadband strategic plan. To help communities improve broadband access and utilization, the State and its partners are providing up to $15,000 in state-funded small grants, access to best-practice curriculum, and more than 50 hours of consultation and community planning facilitation.

“My plan to deliver broadband infrastructure to every corner of Illinois by 2024 requires an ambitious, all-hands-on-deck approach, and the Illinois Connected Communities program is a vital asset in closing the digital equity gap,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to have another eight organizations and institutions join our growing team. In the 21st century, access to health care, education, and economic opportunity rely on digital connectivity. The time is now to bring high speed internet access to the front doors of all Illinoisans.”

Following a successful initial cohort supporting 12 communities in developing broadband strategic plans, the second round of Illinois Connected Communities will support three local governments, two community-based organizations, a school district, a county-level organization, and a regional economic development organization. The second cohort includes the following organizations leading community-wide initiatives:

City of Carrollton
• City of Waukegan
• Community Builders
• Fairmont City
• Greater Peoria EDC (Tazewell County)
• Internet Freedom for McHenry Co
• North Chicago CUSD 187
• The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning/Latinx Digital Leaders Now (DLN)

“Access to reliable high-speed internet is a critical tool for our communities to compete in a 21st century economy,” said Sylvia Garcia, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. “Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, DCEO and the Illinois Office of Broadband are proud to provide a second round of funding for this unique program that supports transformative community driven planning to grow local broadband implementation.”

All Round 2 Illinois Connected Communities participants will receive extensive support from the State and its partners to facilitate broadband planning, including 50+ hours of consultation and facilitation. By the end of the 12-month program, each Illinois Connected Community will have completed a community-driven, broadband strategic plan that articulates the community’s broadband vision and identifies an action plan for progress toward improved broadband access in the areas of community and economic development, education, civic engagement, healthcare, agriculture, and more.

“I was very impressed by the breadth of organizations that applied, the articulation of their challenges, and the passion they exhibited to engage a variety of stakeholders in the Illinois Connected Communities process,” said Adrianne B. Furniss, Executive Director of The Benton Institute. “We share Governor Pritzker’s vision for expanding universal access by bringing communities directly to the table as we work to build 21st century broadband capacity, engage more people in adopting new technology, and use broadband to deliver on larger community goals in education, healthcare, economic equality, civic engagement, and more.”

Five organizations will receive funding allowing them to facilitate community engagement and planning sessions. ICC round 2 leverages a total of $75,000 in state grant funding against $75,000 in philanthropic matching funds to support the essential expert consultation and best-practice curriculum for each community. Philanthropic support is provided by Evanston-based Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, and other local philanthropy. Their contributions, alongside state funds, will help participating communities define their technology goals; measuring current levels of broadband access, adoption, and use; and seeking technical assistance and other funds to meet community needs.

“Reliable and equitable broadband access for everyone in Illinois is critical to democracy because it permits all to participate in the civic life of our state and nation,” said Jim McDonough, Executive Director at Alphawood Foundation. “This is essential to maintaining a strong and vibrant society. Alphawood Foundation is proud to be a part of the Illinois Connected Communities initiative through our long-standing support of the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society.”

“The Center and Digital Leaders Now applied because digital equity and inclusion is a priority that we share with Governor J.B Pritzker,” said DLN Founder/CEO Caroline Sanchez Crozier, The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning/Latinx Digital Leaders Now (DLN). “We believe broadband access is just as important as utilities like water, gas, and electricity. Our Latino community has been on the wrong side of the digital divide. This grant gives us the opportunity – and the strategy – to take action. We are excited to partner with DCEO and the Benton Institute’s experts to devise a community-led strategy for our city.”

The Notice of Funding Opportunity was announced as part of the Illinois Office of Broadband’s digital equity package in November 2020. Applications were considered on a competitive basis and scored by a merit review team comprised of technical experts and community and economic development professionals.

“With COVID-19 placing unfathomable challenges for those at work, in school and in our daily lives, it evident that broadband access planning is absolutely vital for any community,” said CEO Chris Setti of Greater Peoria Economic Development Council. “The Peoria community is a leader in innovation, and the Illinois Connected Communities program will take our efforts to bring internet household to every community in our area to the next level. We thank local philanthropy that has helped make this program possible, the Benton Institute, and the Illinois Office of Broadband for prioritizing community involvement and for providing to move this important work forward.”

The initial cohort of Illinois Connected Communities has concluded its work, including their respective broadband strategic plans. The Illinois Office of Broadband and Benton Institute will continue to provide internal support to help these communities put their plans into action.

Focus on local broadband planning and implementation has been a hallmark of Governor Pritzker’s efforts to increase 21st century broadband and to help close the digital equity gap that has been further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immediately after taking office, Governor Pritzker launched Connect Illinois, an historic $420 million investment in broadband infrastructure, designed to bring universal access to communities across Illinois. Last year, the Pritzker administration took action to invest $750,000 in local capacity building programs, which included ICC Round 2, the READY community navigator grants program and the digital navigator collaboration program.

These grants will help lay the groundwork for individual communities to make smart investments with broadband-eligible funds included in the American Rescue Plan Act and to participate in Governor Pritzker’s ambitious statewide high-speed internet expansion, Connect Illinois, a $420 million program to bring basic access to all communities. Earlier this month, the State joined civic organization, Heartland Forward, and community partners in calling attention to the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program, launched by the FCC and making $3.2 billion available to make internet service more affordable and accessible for qualifying low-income families. Illinois residents, schools and communities can seek more information on the program by visiting https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit .

Attachments

STATE OF ILLINOIS AND PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS ANNOUNCE $150,000 IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL BROADBAND

IFMC Renews Call to U.S. Congresswoman Underwood

June 26, 2020June 26, 2020Broadband, Elected Officials, Lauren Underwood, News

June 24, 2020 (Woodstock, IL) — In August 2019, IFMC reached out to Congressional Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) to discuss legislative amendments that could deliver more broadband internet to areas across her district, especially the most rural and underserved. Read more about it here: IFMC Petitions Underwood to Amend “LIFT Act”

Since then, Congresswoman Underwood has been busy pushing the issue with sending a letter to the FCC (Here), hosting a virtual roundtable with Federal Communications Commission and local stakeholders like school district officials from McHenry, Woodstock, and Harvard, and sending out her own mini-broadband survey.

We wanted to show her our appreciation, provide a few updates, and encourage her to share our highly-prepared, professional and industry-quality survey on broadband in McHenry County (McHenry County Broadband Survey).

Read our letter to Rep. Underwood Download

Honorable Representative Underwood,
We were delighted to see your recent virtual roundtable with the FCC, and your interest in collecting data related to broadband. Your continued efforts in improving rural broadband in Northern Illinois communities is greatly appreciated—thank you. It is our hope that with your efforts, we can see an improvement with bringing competitive high-quality cost-effective fiber-optic broadband to everyone in Northern Illinois and more.
Since our sit-down meeting last August, we launched our highly-prepared, professional and industry-quality survey on broadband in McHenry County. Our Broadband Survey was developed and reviewed by a team including industry experts, a web user interface and survey developer, marketing experts, government elected officials and administrators, and an attorney. The Broadband Survey is comprehensive in nature covering organizations and residential; location details like address and rural vs urban; the need for improved landline telephone, cellular, Internet, cable TV, or satellite service; the expressed importance level of Internet; current Internet Service Provider; type of broadband; cost of broadband; the download and upload speed; number of people in the household and the age breakdown; demographics; the willingness to use property taxes to fund the fiber-optic infrastructure; and the demand for fiber-optics. To date, we have obtained over 400 responses from households and organizations throughout McHenry County, and the overwhelming consensus is: your constituents are experiencing high costs; lack of competition; hidden fees; and inconsistent and inadequate quality of service. This problem cannot be fixed with the current FCC bare minimum definition of “broadband” and these negative experiences are coming from rural and urban Internet users alike.
In August 2019, we shared the IFMC Policy Brief on LIFT Act (H.R. 2741) with your office, we suggested changes to H.R. 2741, and/or any other bill, recognizing fiber-optics as the only and best one-time cost-effective investment that will lead to competitive high-quality cost-effective universal access to all homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions. To continue the focus on the inadequate technology, we will continue to waste and spend taxpayer monies on antiquated technology from for-profit companies that have no intention of providing competitive high-quality cost-effective universal access to everyone, as they have for decades. Experts agree symmetrical gigabit service through fiber-optics is a multi-generational solution to current and future Internet needs.
In February 2020, the State of Illinois released their Connect Illinois Broadband Strategic Plan, which has taken on several ambitious goals to be completed by 2028. It is in our opinion, the only technology that will achieve and surpass these goals is by investing in a fiber-optic infrastructure to all homes, businesses, and community anchor institutions within our communities. What better way than to align the legislature structure at both a federal and state level by making symmetrical gigabit the minimum standard of “broadband”? With implementing the recommendations from the Policy Brief, these goals can be achieved far easier and effectively.
Recently, IFMC has applied for the Illinois Connected Communities grant to seek funding for increasing our educate and build support activities around obtaining more Broadband Survey results. We are proud to say that we were able to secure nine letters of support from governmental and quasi-governmental organizations in less than two weeks—our allies and supporters already have heard our message and know community-owned fiber-optics is what we need. We hope your office will help us identify funding opportunities at the Federal level.
We also strongly suggest you take advantage of the superior work product of our Broadband Survey, by linking it on your website and/or distributing the link (https://survey.ifmc.co) to others in McHenry County. Our Broadband Survey identifies areas of McHenry County that are unserved or underserved by broadband Internet service, and to generally identify demands for fiber-optic broadband Internet service. Our survey is comprehensive, and honestly, your staff would spend 100+ hours to make anything as good. We have done the work for you, please use it. If your office can help spread the Broadband Survey, we would be happy to share our data, including testimonials, with you.
We are the eyes and ears on the ground pushing this issue forward. With our combined efforts, we have no doubt that we can make significant progress. We look forward to you reaching out with us and becoming a stronger partner.
Sincerely,
David Gutowsky

Rep. Underwood’s E-mail Survey Download

About Internet Freedom for McHenry County: Internet Freedom for McHenry County (www.ifmc.co) is a non-profit organization of community members joining together to drive civic action that will promote the improved use of fiber-optics to provide cost-effective, reliable, and high-quality connectivity to everyone within McHenry County.

Become a Member today. Support us.

IFMC Petitions Underwood to Amend “LIFT Act”

August 6, 2019August 7, 2019News, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 6, 2019 (Woodstock, IL) – Internet Freedom for McHenry County (IFMC) met with Congressional Representative Lauren Underwood (IL14) to discuss legislative amendments that could deliver more broadband internet to areas across her district, especially the most rural and underserved.

IFMC Founder and Public Interest Director, David Gutowsky, and other representatives of IFMC attended the meeting with Congresswoman Underwood on Friday to discuss a proposal for community-owned fiber.

“It was an important conversation to have as only 2% of McHenry County households have access to fiber-optics. We are 12% behind the national average,” Gutowsky said. “McHenry County is being left behind. That hurts our community, and it hurts our economy.”

Studies show that at least 39 percent of rural areas have no Internet service at all, and 51 percent of all Americans have only a single provider to choose from. This data is statistically accurate across much of Illinois’ 14^th Congressional district.

Underwood and IFMC met to discuss possible amendments to H.R.2741, called the Leading Infrastructure for Tomorrow’s America Act “LIFT Act”, which creates a loan infrastructure program, but leaves McHenry County ineligible because poorly defined legislation and inaccurate FCC data.

Gutowsky said, “If we are going to move forward with competitive options, the federal government is going to have shift to requiring fiber-optics and open-access, free-market principles. We hope Underwood would support this shift for McHenry County.”

2019-08-06 – LIFT-ACT_Press-Release Download

2019-08-06 – IFMC Policy Brief on LIFT Act Download