[shashin type=”album” id=”2″ size=”medium” crop=”n” columns=”max” caption=”y” order=”date” position=”left”]Now that the I-57 portion of fiber optic cable construction has been completed, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) kicked-off the next construction phase to link the fiber into municipal facilities, colleges, libraries, public safety locations and other buildings at the Monee Village Hall on June 27, 2012. The fiber cable will enable higher capacity data and Internet connections to Monee municipal locations and provide immediate connections for public safety, education and economic development opportunities. Overall, the high capacity fiber optic cabling will enable Southland communities to provide services and applications that will improve communications capabilities for the entire region. “Our community gets an immediate benefit,” said Monee Village President Jay Farquhar. “Our public safety departments will be using fiber-enabled monitoring and operational support applications, and our teachers will no longer being limited by bandwidth, soon having the ability to provide high quality video and educational resources in the classroom.” “Technology capabilities and information sharing will be greatly enhanced at South Suburban College,” added Don Manning, the school’s president. “In addition, much of the region will benefit because we plan to link this infrastructure to area feeder schools and libraries.” Fiber optic cable construction will continue through the summer, linking sites all the way from University Park connecting Governor’s State University, Richton Park, SouthCom Joint Dispatch in Matteson, and continuing on to locations in Dixmoor, Blue Island and the Markham courthouse, reaching over 30 facilities in communities bordering I-57. The project is scheduled to be completed by January 2014. The fiber network constructed by SSMMA will be operated by the Chicago Southland Fiber Network (CSFN), a separate not-for-profit organization. CSFN’s primary mission is to provide state-of-the-art broadband services to educational, governmental, healthcare and other public interest institutions in the south suburban Chicago area. SSMMA, in partnership with the Cook County Bureau of Technology, received a $6.1 million grant from the State of Illinois’ “Jobs First” capital grant funding program to build the fiber network. This project helps many underserved communities that would not have access to this technology if not for the grant. Beginning in February of 2012, the I-57 fiber cable was installed in partnership with the State of Illinois, Central Managed Services. “Fiber cabling is a key investment to improve economic opportunities in the region, improving municipal communications capabilities and lowering the cost of delivering government services,” said SSMMA President and Flossmoor Mayor Paul Braun. “Fiber optic connectivity has become the next critical infrastructure for our region, often listed at the same level of importance as good roads, electric distribution, and water and sewer services.” In fact, local investment in high-capacity broadband infrastructure has captured the attention of national publisher Broadband Communities Magazine. They will be hosting a “Revival in America’s Heartland” regional conference at the Tinley Park Convention Center Nov. 5-7 on using advanced communications capabilities to foster economic development and create jobs. For more information please visit http://www.bbpmag.com.
Photographer Larry Pyrzybski captured part of the event in this video.