Illinois’ planned expansion of broadband internet access will create thousands of jobs, boost workers’ wages and help bridge rural-urban and racial divides in online access, researchers with the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found in a recent study.
In 2019, 83% of Illinois residents had access to broadband internet. Federal and state investment is expected to connect 238,000 households, businesses and farms to broadband by 2026. In total, the researchers found, the investment will boost the state’s labor income each year by $843 million and create about 25,000 jobs, both permanent and temporary.
The expansion will generate enough tax revenue to offset the state’s investment within four years of the completion, said study co-author Frank Manzo IV, executive director of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute.
