Springfield business leaders and community advocates are brainstorming ways to get more families connected to broadband access.
A roundtable discussion Monday focused on ways to take advantage of up to $50 billion in federal funding allocated nationwide to improve the availability of broadband in rural and underserved areas.
Ryan McCrady of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance says quality broadband is often a deciding factor for companies when they choose where to locate.
The panel wants to work on acquiring a portion of that funding to build up broadband networks, as well as educating low-income families on federal programs that can help them cover the cost of access.
