West Virginia is one step closer to improved broadband.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, (R-W.Va.) announced Thursday that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has approved West Virginia’s final proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
This means that the state can soon begin awarding its funding through the BEAD program to deploy high-speed internet networks.
“I am thrilled that West Virginia’s BEAD plan has been approved by the Department of Commerce,” Capito said. “This means West Virginia is another step closer to better connecting our homes, businesses, and classrooms across the state. I have had dozens of conversations with the Administration and our state officials, and while there is still a long road ahead to getting more West Virginians connected, we are well on our way with today’s announcement. I look forward to continuing to help our state in any way that I can as the plan moves its way through the approval process at NIST.”
In a statement issued by Senator Jim Justice, Justice said, “We’ve made huge strides in bringing high-quality broadband access to West Virginia, and getting our communities connected to high-speed internet means everything. When I was Governor, I made sure West Virginia was in the best position possible to receive this funding so that we could keep modernizing our broadband infrastructure. This funding is an absolute gamechanger and will cover thousands of locations throughout the state, fostering new opportunities, jobs, education, and investment.”
Governor Patrick Morrisey added, “This technological upgrade will connect every corner of West Virginia and facilitate the jobs and opportunities needed to move forward. We’ve worked closely with the Trump administration to secure this historic investment and are proud to provide these possibilities to the people of West Virginia.”
That final proposal was submitted earlier this year for the more than $1.2 billion, which was first announced in June 2023.
The BEAD program was created to connect communities with equal broadband access in all 50 states. In West Virginia, the program will serve 73,560 households and some businesses.
Morrisey said the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2029.