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Illinois BEAD funding

Illinois's BEAD final proposal covers 142,546 locations. 97,122 of them (68.2%) are slated for fiber to the premises, which ranks Illinois #9 of 51 for fiber locations. The deployment cost is $831.2 million against an original allocation of $1.04 billion.

Allocation
$1.04 billion
Deployment cost
$831.2 million
Locations
142,546
Fiber locations
97,122

Technology mix

Fiber to the premises97,12268.2%
Fixed wireless33,61023.6%
Low earth orbit satellite11,4908.1%
Hybrid fiber-coax (cable)1940.1%

Who won BEAD money in Illinois

23 providers, largest grant first. The ones building fiber or cable are the ones hiring construction crews.

Wisper Isp, LLC
$301.3 million
35,425 locations · Fiber (85%) / Licensed fixed wireless (13%) / Licensed-by-rule fixed wireless (2%) · provider match $201.2 million · est. completion November 29, 2030 · about 4,130 mi buried + 2,886 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
34,033 locations · Fiber · provider match $118.5 million · est. completion December 29, 2030 · about 7,484 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
6,941 locations · Fiber · provider match $17.4 million · est. completion November 29, 2030 · about 546 mi buried + 60 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
6,439 locations · Fiber · provider match $17.6 million · est. completion January 29, 2030 · about 1,391 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
7,539 locations · Fiber (96%) / Cable (HFC) (4%) · provider match $45.4 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 556 mi buried + 371 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
24,834 locations · Licensed fixed wireless · provider match $13.2 million · est. completion January 29, 2030
1,780 locations · Fiber · provider match $6.2 million · est. completion October 29, 2030 · about 167 mi buried + 24 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
1,300 locations · Fiber · provider match $14.4 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 294 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
786 locations · Fiber · provider match $4.6 million · est. completion January 29, 2029 · about 216 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
653 locations · Fiber · provider match $3.4 million · est. completion November 29, 2028 · about 136 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
11,490 locations · Satellite (LEO) · provider match $3.3 million · est. completion March 29, 2038
2,448 locations · Fiber · provider match $8.7 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 222 mi buried + 617 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
488 locations · Fiber · provider match $2.6 million · est. completion January 29, 2029 · about 152 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
777 locations · Fiber · provider match $8.2 million · est. completion June 29, 2030 · about 112 mi buried + 24 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
1,755 locations · Licensed-by-rule fixed wireless (96%) / Fiber (4%) · provider match $1.5 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 9 mi buried + 15 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
339 locations · Fiber · provider match $6.6 million · est. completion December 29, 2030 · about 47 mi buried + 25 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
1,001 locations · Fiber · provider match $7.6 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 7 mi buried + 225 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
2,035 locations · Licensed fixed wireless (70%) / Fiber (11%) / Licensed-by-rule fixed wireless (10%) / Unlicensed fixed wireless (10%) · provider match $7.5 million · est. completion August 29, 2028 · about 16 mi buried + 3 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
1,196 locations · Fiber · provider match $4.2 million · est. completion January 29, 2029 · about 10 mi buried + 124 mi aerial fiber (state estimate)
209 locations · Fiber · provider match $1.5 million · est. completion November 29, 2028 · about 48 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
Ghb Enterprise LLC
$2.6 million
794 locations · Fiber · provider match $5.0 million · est. completion January 29, 2031 · about 164 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
163 locations · Fiber · provider match $1.6 million · est. completion January 29, 2029 · about 37 mi buried fiber (state estimate)
121 locations · Fiber · provider match $242,720 · est. completion February 28, 2029 · about 44 mi buried fiber (state estimate)

Source: Illinois Office of Broadband (DCEO), BEAD Final Proposal data files (final version) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Summed per provider from Illinois's final data files. Grants total $831,161,724.40 and locations 142,546, both matching NTIA. The state also posts an earlier file set with larger totals, not used here. Provisional awards can change as the state finalizes agreements.

What it means for contractors

Fiber locations are the ones that turn into construction: underground and aerial placement, boring, splicing, drops, and restoration. The providers that won these areas build them, often with subcontractors. Check the Illinois broadband office's BEAD page for the providers selected in each area. Those providers, and the primes they hire, are who to call about sub work.

Illinois BEAD officeNTIA state pageFinal proposal overview (PDF)Illinois 811 rules

Fiber work in Illinois on the board

No open fiber posts in Illinois right now. Post work or list your crew, both free.

Fiber crews that work in Illinois

Broadband infrastructure solutions inc
Available now
Boca Raton, FL · Works in AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC…
Underground fiber and conduitDirectional drillingAerial fiber and strandFiber splicing and testingCrew of 5

Source: NTIA, final proposal overview updated November 24, 2025. NTIA marks these figures subject to change pending final review. All states.