Many community anchor institutions like libraries, K-12 schools, and community colleges in northwestern Illinois face limited broadband capacity, speeds, and service offerings, inhibiting the ability to serve their communities. To address this situation, Northern Illinois University is proposing to deploy an 870-mile network across a nine-county region including Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, Carroll, Lee, Whiteside, Ogle, and LaSalle, significantly leveraging broadband technology for improvements in rural education, economic opportunities, and public safety.