INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Cabling

Quilt to use reserve fiber on ComEd system to expand access to high-speed internet .

Other similar agreements will be enabled by a $ 14.6 million grant awarded to ComEd last year by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ( IIJA ) and the US Department of Commerce ( NTIA ), which supports a build-out of reserve middle-mile fiber that can be licensed by any ISP to expand access to affordable broadband service in underserved communities .

“ We are excited that our work to modernize our grid provides the added benefit of supporting efforts by QUILT and other companies to improve access to high-speed broadband and enable customers in underserved communities ,” said Gil Quiniones , President and CEO of ComEd .

Kyla Williams Tate , Director , Digital Equity Cook County , said : “ We commend Quilt and ComEd on their plan to use reserve fiber on the ComEd system to increase access to high-speed internet service in Chicago communities where it is urgently needed .”

“ Creative collaborations such as this are essential to bridging the digital divide in Cook County – we hope this leads to many more .”

ComEd ’ s investments in advanced telemetry infrastructure , such as fiber optics , play a key role in modernizing the electrical grid to meet emerging challenges and customer needs .

This includes expanding grid automation technologies , which automatically route power around problem areas , reducing the frequency and duration of outages .

Fiber optics also plays a key role in managing the large-scale integration of renewable energy , including wind , solar and battery energy storage onto the grid .

While supporting current and future grid needs , ComEd ’ s conservative approach to the installation of fiber also creates this opportunity for third parties to license reserve fiber to expand broadband service .

According to the Data Science Institute at the University of Chicago , most disconnected households in Chicago are on the city ’ s South and West Sides , with up to 40 % of households lacking Internet in the least connected communities .

Dwayne Douglas , CEO of QUILT and NODE Networks , said : “ By increasing affordability and accessibility to broadband service , we are not only closing the digital divide but also unlocking opportunities for residents and businesses in these communities to thrive in the digital economy . “

QUILT ’ s immediate focus is to initiate deployment of high-speed broadband infrastructure in North Lawndale , Woodlawn and South Shore and it will expand service to additional neighborhoods over the coming months and years .

QUILT ’ S residential and business customers can expect a range of broadband services with speeds ranging from 100 megabits to 1 gigabit per second , along with digital literacy training , workforce development and job placement . p

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