Peoria County is extending a pilot program providing broadband internet access to low-income households.
The Digital Equity Pilot program was approved by the County Board late last summer. It officially launched in October 2024. Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Andre Allen says the program started taking applications in December.
Applications came from 15 of the county's 18 districts.
Allen says 36 people enrolled in the pilot program, funded by a $125,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The county received an extension to the grant, allowing for funds to rollover to July 2026 and for the inclusion of a second cohort of households.
Allen says the first group of applications is full of stories demonstrating the barriers removed by broadband internet access. He mentions one woman who was deciding whether or not to go back to nursing school.
“Ultimately, she applied for the program, met the criteria, and now she’s in the program and went back to school because of it,” said Allen. “We had one woman who was receiving telehealth services on her Android from her health provider, but she was using her neighbor’s hot spot.”
Allen says the 36 members of the first cohort are scattered throughout Peoria County, including rural areas like Princeville. However, attempts to enroll people in some rural sections of the community have demonstrated additional barriers to broadband.
He shares an example of one applicant who qualified for the pilot, but lacked the surrounding infrastructure.
“It would have cost upwards of $70,000 to put down the infrastructure in order for them to participate in the pilot and enroll with that service provider,” said Allen.
The program works by partnering with service providers like Mediacom, Comcast, Tel-Star Communications and Mid-Century Fiber. Applicants can’t currently have any form of internet service and are selected by lottery, with priority given to applicants in areas with lower median incomes. The county covers the cost of internet service for one year.
“We’re really trying to be that intermediate step to help people with those affordability challenges, with the hope that they are able to increase their earning potential and be able to ultimately afford this basic need on their own,” Allen said.
Registration for the second cohort starts April 1 and runs through April 27. The county’s goal is to have service established for successful applications by June 1.
Eligibility requirements and applications are available here.
