UC2B and its private partner iTV-3 held a groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of residential construction. Representatives from both entities—along with speakers from the City of Urbana, the City of Champaign, the University of Illinois, the Urbana Free Library, and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation—praised the Gigabit-capable network and the partnership.

The UC2B/ iTV-3 partnership was announced last May, and iTV-3’s Vice President indicated that the past several months have involved feverish behind-the-scenes work to reach this point. Network buildout will be completed in phases; neighborhoods in which at least 50 percent of households have signed up for service will be eligible for construction.