217 Today: Demand for broadband increased during the pandemic, but many rural areas still lack it

By Brian Moline and Farrah Anderson
Jan 26, 2022

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2022

Today’s headlines:

Senator Dick Durbin says the United States will not put up with a Russian attempt to invade Ukraine.
Two Illinois companies have proposed pipelines that would store carbon deep underground in Illinois, which could help offset carbon emissions.
Because of the forecasted wind chills and a lack of school bus drivers, Danville District 118 says it is closed Wednesday. The district says it wants to avoid having children wait at the bus stop or walk to school this morning.

In today’s deep dive, Paul Cronin, the CEO of i3 Broadband, talks about the increased demand for broadband service during the pandemic and the challenges of bringing broadband to rural areas.

217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Hannah Allam, Emily Hays, Reginald Hardwick and Tim Shelley.

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