Get Illinois Online

Chicago & Springfield: Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee (Open to Public)
Monday, May 15th 1:00-3:00 PM. DCEO Illinois conference room (3rd Floor of Thompson Center)
The meeting is also accessible via video-conference link in Springfield. For more information, contact John Barr of DCEO: 312-814-2259.

Be advised that public comment is restricted to the second half of the meeting.
The Digital Divide Advisory Committee has had two recent appointees and the new legislation opens the committee to two further appointments. Our presence at these meetings is our opportunity to provide input into coordinated inter-governmental efforts on behalf of Digital Literacy and Access.

The next meeting of the Illinois Broadband Deployment Council is on Wednesday, May 10 at 10:00 am.

We will have three attendance options. The primary location will be in Springfield in the Capitol Development Board Room - 349 C, on the 3rd floor of the Stratton Building. (The Stratton is directly west of the
Capitol.) Attendance by videoconference will be available in Chicago in the Lieutenant Governor's Office at the James R. Thompson Center, Floor 15
. A third site that will also offer videoconfereincing to make it more
convenient for folks west of Chicago--it will be at the DuPage Airport Flight Center, 2700 International Drive, Suite 305, West Chicago. Ask for Gail Tate or call her cell with any problems - 630.578.4214

Much is going on, and we need to be organized if the cause of Getting Illinois Online is to gain traction.

The Digital Literacy Act of 2006, with prospects of funding the program at $8 Million for 2007 fell far short of this goal.

Many localities are deploying networks, and the City of Chicago is set to issue a WiFi RFP, soon.

The Congress is debating Network Neutrality and Inter-Modal competition.

We need to voice our perspectives on each front, as each front is part of the puzzle of Getting Illinois Online.

What do we need to get organized? We need some assistance in site development and formation of policy statement. We also need your voice to be heard, and to share in a common discussion.

Friends,

We need your action today.

You are on the front lines in bridging the digital divide. Funding for digital literacy & access programs is at stake.

It is important that you call your Senators and Representatives in their home district today, or in Springfield early next week.

Ask that your State Representative tell Speaker Michael Madigan and Representatives Tom Cross and Connie Howard that they support the $8 million digital literacy budget amendment.

Ask that your State Senator tell Senate President Emil Jones and Senators Trotter, Harmon & Watson that they support the $8 million digital literacy budget amendment.