BLOOMINGTON, ILL. (AP) -- Gov. Pat Quinn has announced the launch of a nearly $100 million project to construct more than 1,000 miles of high-speed fiber optic infrastructure in 55 Illinois counties.

The funds for the project is coming from the federal government - $62 million - and the Illinois Jobs Now! program - about $34 million.

In announcing the plans Wednesday, the governor's office said the project would create about 676 jobs, serving 285,000 businesses and four million households.

According to the governor's office, 47 of the 55 counties in the proposed service area are underserved with residential broadband subscription rate of less than 40 percent.

Thirteen of the counties are economically distressed with above-average unemployment rates and low median incomes.

(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)