It's 2024 and we're still talking about how to get high-speed internet to the rural people and places that need it. An influx of federal dollars coming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 may offer a path forward, and a group of Illinois government and business leaders are getting ready to seize the opportunity. As part of the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society's, "Broadband Breakthrough" program, local stakeholders are getting coached up on broadband basics, community outreach, and how to take their best shot when competing for a chunk of the federal funding available for internet infrastructure.

Producer's Note: The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society is a contractor for the Center for Rural Strategies, our parent organization. The Rural Remix team operates independently in all editorial decisions.