The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) on Tuesday announced the State of Illinois has been approved to receive $1.04 billion in funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program to support high-speed internet access statewide. The funding will connect approximately 350,000 residents through homes, businesses, and community institutions across Illinois by 2031. Between private investment, prior public funding, and new BEAD funding, the total broadband investment will exceed $2 billion. The new funding will build on the success of Connect Illinois, the State’s broadband expansion initiative to deliver high-speed internet to thousands of homes across the state. Across the first three funding rounds, the program generated nearly $614 million in combined public and private investments, supporting projects led by 27 internet service providers and local governments to extend access to more than 44,000 households, businesses and community institutions. To date, over 20,610 households have already been connected, with thousands more slated to be set up in the coming months.