Section 547.140  Authorized Activities

In general, authorized activities shall include, but not be limited to, developing and implementing a high speed Internet deployment strategy and demand creation initiative.  The activities of the nonprofit organization shall include:

a)         Creating a geographic statewide inventory of high speed Internet service and other relevant broadband and information technology services.  The inventory shall:

1)         Identify geographic gaps in high speed Internet service through a method of GIS mapping of service availability and GIS analysis at the census block level; and

2)         Provide a baseline assessment of statewide high speed Internet deployment in terms of percentage of Illinois households with high speed Internet availability.

b)         Tracking and identifying, through customer interviews and surveys and other publicly available sources, statewide residential and business adoption of high speed Internet, computers, and related information technology and any barriers to adoption.

c)         Building and facilitating in each county or designated region a local technology planning team.  Each team shall benchmark technology use across relevant community sectors, set goals for improved technology use within each sector, and develop a plan for achieving its goals, with specific recommendations for online application development and demand creation.

d)         Collaborating with high speed Internet providers and technology companies to encourage deployment and use, especially in underserved areas, by aggregating local demand, mapping analysis, and creating market intelligence to improve the business case for providers to deploy.

e)         Collaborating with the Department in developing a program to increase computer ownership and broadband access for disenfranchised populations across the State.  The program may include grants to local community technology centers that provide technology training, promote computer ownership, and increase broadband access.

f)         Applying and implementing federal grants consistent with the objectives of the Act.

g)         Obtaining or raising funds other than the grants received from the Department to implement the objectives consistent with the Act.  [20 ILCS 661/20]