Press release
ComEd Partners with QUILT to Help Bridge the Digital Divide on Chicago’s South and West Sides
Quilt to use reserve fiber on ComEd system to expand access to high-speed internet CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ComEd today announced that QUILT, an Illinois
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[{"type":"text","content":"\nQuilt to use reserve fiber on ComEd system to expand access to high-speed internet\n\n\n CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nComEd today announced that QUILT, an Illinois nonprofit supporting disadvantaged communities, will license reserve fiber optics on the ComEd system as part of its efforts to provide affordable high-speed broadband service on Chicago’s South and West Sides. 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 U.S. Department of Commerce (NTIA), which supports a build-out of reserve middle-mile fiber that can be licensed by any InternetService Provider (ISP) to expand access to affordable broadband service in underserved communities. State and local broadband technology leaders participated in today’s announcement at the Woodlawn Resource Center in Chicago’s Woodlawn community.\n\n\n“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 to harness the benefits of the digital age,” said Gil Quiniones, President and CEO of ComEd.\n\n\n“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,” said Kyla Williams Tate, Director, Digital Equity Cook County. “Creative collaborations such as this are essential to bridging the digital divide in Cook County, and we hope this leads to many more.”\n\n\nComEd’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.\n\n\nDwayne Douglas, CEO of the nonprofit QUILT, and CE...