Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network

IMEG provided technology design to connect 285 buildings in 19 rural communities with the Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network (CIRBN). 

Based in Central Illinois, CIRBN provides a cutting-edge fiber optic network to deliver low-cost, high-speed Internet and Intranet to K-12 school districts, healthcare, public safety, government, not-for-profit, and commercial institutions. Illinois State University — which houses CIRBN’s POP server in a data center at Stevens Hall — applied for and won the federal grant for the project and served as project manager. 

In addition to Bloomington/Normal, CIRBN currently provides fiber optic to the towns of Arrowsmith, Atlanta, Chenoa, Colfax, Danvers, Downs, El Paso, Eureka, Fairbury, Farmer City, Gridley, Heyworth, Hudson, LeRoy, Lexington, Mansfield, Olympia, Pontiac, and Towanda. Design services by IMEG encompassed the extension of fiber optic cabling from an interior distribution panel to a hand hole located outside each of the 285 buildings signed up for the service in these towns. 

IMEG completed the design on a very tight schedule — visiting all 285 buildings, performing all field work, and completing all construction documents in just six weeks. Additionally, the design was completed with no floor plans — only photographs of the buildings were available. In many cases CAD was employed to produce the needed documents. 

Construction on the project was done in two phases — 17 towns in Phase 1, and two towns in Phase 2. As contractors (hired under a separate contract) finished installing fiber to each hand hole, contractors worked with IMEG to connect the fiber optic cabling from the hand hole to the distribution panels. 

The completion of the project replaces outdated technology with state-of-the-art fiber optics to improve quality, reliability, usability, and access for its participants.