The Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project moves to the next step for the University and the two neighboring cities.

The fiber-optic broadband Internet project entails a $22.5 million grant both cities of Champaign and Urbana have approved. The plan for the grant money is to connect critical institutions such as libraries, schools and hospitals. It would also connect higher speed Internet services to 4,600 homes in lower-income neighborhoods.

The three institutions involved – Urbana, Champaign and the University – have started to move forward with the project by looking at various types of technology, planning an environmental assessment and gathering all of the information from the experts.

“I think it’s a very exciting opportunity for the Universities and the communities,” said Steven Sonka, University’s vice chancellor for public engagement. “It’s exciting because of the capabilities it brings to the community, but also we are seeing effective collaboration between the two cities and the University.”

He added that the next step is to conduct an environmental assessment that will take about three months. The University, as well as the two cities, need to make sure what they are putting in the ground is environmentally safe, he said.

While the bidding process will entail talking to experts in the specific field, coming together with the two cities is the most exciting part for Sonka.

“I think the next thing we should be doing from my side of the house, which is about using this capability, not building it or running it, is really coming together with the University and the communities and saying ‘how are we going to use this,’” he said. “We’ve got a year or so to figure out what could we be doing. And to me, that’s the most exciting part.”

Mike Monson, Urbana’s chief of staff, said two weeks from now the technical committee of the Broadband project will have electronic manufacturers who will display different kinds of technology under consideration.

There are three types of technology the institutions are considering for the project.

Mike Smeltzer, University director of networking at Campus Information Technologies and Educational Services, or CITES, said in an e–mail they have proposed Wave Division Multiplexing-Passive Optical Networking (WDM-PON), a optical networking system for the fiber-to-the-home plan.

He added that the two competing technologies are Active Ethernet and Gigabit Passive Optical Networking, which are types of technology to benefit Big Broadband.

Monson said nodes, connection points of the fiber-optic network, have also been thought about in the plan.

“There are going to be two nodes on campus. And the cities are a little concerned about that- they don’t want a node that’s totally University centered,” he said.

Monson added that Urbana’s input is being heard by the other institutions involved in Big Broadband.

“It sounds like the suggestions and concerns of the city are being addressed so we’re pretty happy about that,” he said. “It looks like it will be a good, open process where input is considered and where everybody comes to a unified decision.”