Large portions of Kendall County do not have access to quality, high-speed internet connectivity. In today’s digital world, broadband access is critical for work, education, business operations, and everyday life. 

To address this problem, the County has entered into an agreement with Fox Fiber, a not-for-profit entity, that will build and operate a broadband network across Kendall County, providing more than 3,000 additional locations with high-speed internet access. This partnership will ultimately transfer ownership of the network to the County at a future date, to ensure that the County, its residents, and its businesses benefit from continued quality internet infrastructure.  

The project will support economic development and ensure that Kendall County continues to be a great place to live, work, and do business.  

Project History

The County’s broadband initiative began with an assessment conducted by Lit Communities on behalf of the County to assess broadband connectivity and determine options to expand service. Lit Communities conducted surveys and hosted town halls in the summer of 2022 to gather data and develop options. They also identified potential funding sources to support the investment necessary for network construction.  

Lit Communities recommended that the County consider building and owning a middle mile as a core network for the community, from which internet service providers could make last-mile connections to deliver broadband across the County. 

Connect Kendall County Commission

In early 2023, the Kendall County Board established the Connect Kendall County Commission, comprising individuals with the necessary expertise to guide the County in the creation of a broadband network. 

The Connect Kendall County Commission released a request for proposals (RFP) for a Public-Private Partnership in Providing Fiber to the Home and Internet Services. Through the RFP process, the Commission recommended selecting Denver-based Pivot-Tech to provide expertise in the development, financing, building and operation of a broadband network in Kendall County.  

Kendall County has worked with Pivot-Tech to envision a middle-mile network to provide broadband services to all of Kendall County. The project will focus on delivering services to unserved and underserved areas of the County, as well as provide next-generation connection to public safety and other governmental agencies. The network will have capacity for private dark fiber allocations, supporting the increasing connectivity needs of businesses in Kendall County and opening opportunities for data centers or other businesses for which reliable, high speed internet connections are critical. 

Fox Fiber

The broadband expansion project will be supported by Fox Fiber, NFP, a new non-profit organization that will oversee the implementation and operation of the broadband network. Fox Fiber will issue revenue bonds to fund the costs of the network beyond the grant funds. Once the bonds are retired, Kendall County will assume full ownership of the network, providing a valuable public asset to the community for generations to come.  

Fox Fiber will deliver high-speed internet to residents at a fair price. Construction on the network is scheduled to begin in Summer 2025, with service expected to become available to customers in phases as early as the end of 2025. Future phases of the project are intended to extend the network availability to nearly 60,000 locations in the County.  

To learn more about Fox Fiber and its services, visit their website here. 

Funding

Both the State and Federal governments have allocated significant levels of investment for expanding broadband into unserved and underserved areas. In 2023, the State of Illinois’ Office of Broadband released Connect Illinois Round 3, with a total of $350 million in grants for broadband expansion projects in Illinois. The County, working with its partners at Pivot-Tech, secured $15 million in grant funds from the State for the broadband expansion project. In addition to these grant funds, Fox Fiber will obtain approximately $30 million in revenue-based, tax-free municipal bonds to help operate the program.  

Fox Fiber’s debt funding will be solely the responsibility of Fox Fiber to pay based on the network’s operating revenue. The debt has no impact on the County, including no obligation to repay the bonds and no impact on the County’s credit.