Illinois Broadband Gap Analysis Tool

Data Layer

Broadband Need Index

Composite score (0-100)

Need Index Formula

Broadband coverage gap 40%

Median income gap 30%

No internet rate 30%

All components normalized to 0–1 before weighting. Higher scores indicate greater infrastructure investment need. Source: ACS 5-Year 2024.

Coverage Percentage

% with 25/3 Mbps access

Median Income

Household income by tract

No Internet Access

% without subscription

Filters

County Filter

Legend: Broadband Need Index

0 (Low) 50 100 (High)

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Statewide Summary

Census Tracts

High Need Tracts

Underserved Pop.

Avg. Coverage

📊 Coverage by Area Type

🎯 Tracts by Need Level

⚡ Why Broadband Access Matters

🎓 Students in low-coverage areas lack access to online coursework, digital libraries, and remote learning tools — widening educational inequity.

💼 Rural workers without reliable broadband are excluded from remote job opportunities and online business tools that urban residents take for granted.

🏥 Telehealth services — critical for rural communities far from hospitals — require minimum 25 Mbps download speeds to function reliably.

💰 Federal broadband funding (BEAD Program, ~$42.5B) requires data-driven prioritization. This tool helps identify where investment will have the greatest impact.

Purpose

The Illinois Broadband Gap Analysis Tool identifies and visualizes broadband service gaps across 3,263 Illinois census tracts by integrating FCC coverage data with U.S. Census demographic indicators. It supports data-driven infrastructure investment decisions in a state where the Chicago metropolitan area and downstate rural communities face a stark digital divide.

Who Is This For?

Infrastructure Planners Identify highest-need areas for broadband expansion and prioritize capital investment.

Grant Writers Generate evidence-backed data exports for federal BEAD / USDA ReConnect funding applications.

Community Advocates Visualize and communicate the digital divide to local officials. Use the Print View for offline advocacy.

Researchers & Policymakers Analyze spatial patterns in digital equity and evaluate broadband subsidy programs.

Broadband Need Index Methodology

The composite index (0–100) combines three normalized components. Higher scores indicate greater infrastructure investment need.

40%

Broadband coverage gap — (100% minus broadband subscription rate)

30%

Income gap — normalized over $20k–$120k household income range

30%

No internet rate — % of households without any internet subscription

Data Sources

FCC Broadband Data Collection — county-level 25/3 Mbps coverage (January 2025)
ACS American Community Survey 5-Year 2024 — income, internet subscriptions, population
Census TIGER/Line 2023 — Illinois census tract boundaries

About the Developer

Developed by Ethan Kalchik | University of Wisconsin–Madison | GEOG 778: Practicum in GIS Development

ℹ️ About This Tool

Purpose

Who Is This For?

Broadband Need Index Methodology

Data Sources

About the Developer

📊 Export Data to CSV