Broadband Expansion Story Archives - Page 2 of 7 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

$1.2 Billion Coming To Connect Every West Virginia Household To Internet

The funding was allocated based on the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadband coverage maps. New maps out this past May show that West Virginia has the least connectivity of any state in the country after Alaska.

The just over $1.2 billion announced for West Virginia Monday comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Both of West Virginia’s U.S. senators, Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Shelley Moore Capito, announced the $1,210,800,969.85 in federal funding to the Mountain State through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

In a Zoom press conference, Manchin and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said new mapping uncovered more than 86,000 underserved or unserved West Virginia state locations – including 300,000 households.

Manchin compared this broadband development era to hearing his grandparents talk about the rural electrification of West Virginia back in the 1930s.

“Maybe 10 or 15 percent of West Virginia have electricity, because we’re so rural,” Manchin said. “With that rural electrification, it changed people’s lives, it really did. The same thing is going to happen with this.”

Raimondo said the funding will help overcome all topographic obstacles.

The reason that hasn’t happened is because it’s very expensive to lay the fiber in a rural area, or in a mountainous area,” she said. “The internet providers haven’t done it because it doesn’t make economic sense for them.”

Raimondo said federal measures will ensure every home has access to affordable, high speed internet.

“This is plenty of money to get to everyone,” Raimondo said. “We mean the small farm or family at the end of the long road in rural West Virginia, because we’re going to subsidize the companies to make that infrastructure investment. Then we’re going to hold them accountable to provide the internet at a price that, that family can afford.”

Raimondo said the money won’t go out until the state is able to show how they’re going to implement the BEAD program. Manchin said his staff and state offices, working with internet providers, have been coordinating the coverage plan.

“We’ve been looking at our underserved areas for what, seven, eight years, so we pretty much know where they are,” Manchin said. “We’ve been in contact for quite some time with the State Economic Development Department and all the different development offices around the state, trying to make sure they have a plan. We’re pretty far down the road, I think.”

An announcement from the Biden administration Monday detailed that every U.S. state, territory and protectorate received a share of more than $42 billion to improve broadband connectivity.

Neighboring Ohio, for example, will receive $793,688,107.63 to deploy affordable, reliable high-speed internet service. More than 183,700 homes and small businesses in Ohio lack access to a high-speed Internet connection.

Broadband Infrastructure Projects Receive New Funding

More than $18 million for various broadband infrastructure projects throughout the state have received preliminary approval, Gov. Jim Justice announced Wednesday.

The state’s total investment of $18,675,465 will leverage an additional $19,155,920 from other funding sources, for a total broadband infrastructure investment of $37,831,385.

This announcement includes applications received under the Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD), Major Broadband Project Strategies (MBPS), and Wireless Internet Networks (WIN).

It marks the first preliminary award made for the WIN program which covers state parks and forests by expanding wireless technology. Under the WIN program, funding will allow upgrades to the three towers with 5G and mid-band wireless technology to bring high-speed reliable connectivity to Coopers Rock State Forest, Watoga State Park, and the surrounding areas, significantly increasing public safety and elements of tourism.

Under the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan, projects selected for award will receive a Preliminary Approval Announcement, which will be published on http://broadband.wv.gov. Internet Service Providers other than the applicant will receive an opportunity to submit data to the West Virginia Department of Economic Development demonstrating that the ISP currently offers broadband service at 25/3 Mbps or greater to addresses within the Proposed Project Funded Service Area. Data submitted must meet all the requirements described in the Process for Soliciting Information Regarding Unserved Areas, which the Department published on July 12, 2021.

“I am committed to ensuring that all West Virginians, and all who visit our great state have access to the most advanced internet connectivity possible,” Justice said. “This allocation of funding represents several major steps toward this goal. The projects I am announcing today continue to solidify our commitment to developing broadband infrastructure throughout West Virginia.”

The LEAD, MBPS, and WIN projects will provide broadband connectivity to more than 8,250 targeted locations in West Virginia. These investments will result in more than 700 miles of new fiber infrastructure. In total, these projects provide funding for the purpose of providing broadband connectivity to 21,126 homes and businesses, many of which currently do not have internet services.

Additionally, the most recent update to the Federal Communications Commission broadband map expands eligibility to 271,000 unserved locations in West Virginia, making an additional 80,700 locations eligible for broadband funding.

This funding will be allocated to states under the Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act (IIJA) Broadband Access Equity and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The allocation formula is based upon the number of unserved locations by state, and other demographic factors.

The additional locations were identified through several methods developed and used by the West Virginia Office of Broadband. Individual West Virginians were provided tools to report their broadband availability and location information to the FCC. Additionally, the Office of Broadband proactively consulted with broadband carriers and cellular companies to refine location and technology data.

Finally, the Office of Broadband conducted onsite field inspections in targeted areas. This effort by the Justice Administration’s Office of Broadband will result in millions of additional federal dollars for the expansion of broadband in West Virginia.

In late 2021, the Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy was released, representing the largest investment in broadband in the state’s history, with a proposed investment of over $1 billion. This plan combines funding from federal, state, and local governments, along with matching investments from private-sector partners.

The National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) is expected to release state funding allocations before July 2023.

Broadband projects receiving MBPS, LEAD, and WIN program funds listed below:

Hardy Cellular Telephone Company (DBA USCellular):

Coopers Rock State Forest

WIN Program Funds: $679,950

Matching Funds: $226,650

Total Project Cost: $906,600

Total Towers Upgraded: 3

Targeted Addresses: 1,327

State Parks Covered: Coopers Rock State Forest

Project Summary: USCellular will receive $679,950 in WIN funds to upgrade three existing towers outside of the Coopers Rock State Forest boundary. This funding will allow USCellular to upgrade the three towers with 5G and mid-band wireless technology to bring high-speed reliable connectivity to the state forest and 1,327 targeted locations in the surrounding area.

Hardy Cellular Telephone Company (DBA USCellular):

Watoga State Park Planning Grant

WIN Program Funds: $250,000

Project Summary: USCellular will receive $250,000 in planning grant funds to strategically plan for a wireless implementation project to bring high-speed reliable connectivity to Watoga State Park. With the planning grant, USCellular will be exploring wireless solutions with state and federal officials to address connectivity gaps for areas in and around Watoga State Park. The project will focus on enhancing mobile coverage within Watoga State Park to improve public safety and tourism, through Fixed Wireless Access at key park facilities.

Digital Connections (DBA Prodigi): East Monongalia and East Preston Rural Broadband

LEAD Program Funds: $4,362,723

Matching Funds: $661,500

Total Project Cost: $5,024,223

Estimated Fiber Mileage: 103

Targeted Addresses: 799

Project Summary: Prodigi will receive $4,362,723 in LEAD funds for the expansion of broadband connectivity to 799 targeted addresses in the counties Preston and Monongalia. This project will serve locations in the communities of Albright, Aurora, Bruceton Mills, Masontown, Reedsville, Terra Alta, and rural areas of east Monongalia County. The project will include the installation of approximately 103 miles of fiber infrastructure to provide broadband service in the project area.

Frontier, West Virginia: Ripley (Jackson County) Broadband

MBPS Program Funds: $5,710,010
Matching Funds: $10,594,988

Total Project Cost: $16,304,998

Estimated Fiber Mileage: 249

Targeted Addresses: 1,967

Project Summary: Frontier will receive $5,710,010 in MBPS funds for the expansion of broadband connectivity to 1,967 targeted addresses in the greater Ripley area of Jackson County. This project will serve locations in the communities of Ripley, Kenna, Given, Gandeeville, Gay, Evans, and Kentuck. The project will include the installation of approximately 249 miles of fiber infrastructure to provide broadband service in the project area.

Frontier, West Virginia: Ravenswood (Jackson County) Broadband

MBPS Program Funds: $7,672,782

Matching Funds: $7,672,782

Total Project Cost: $15,345,564

Estimated Fiber Mileage: 381

Targeted Addresses: 4,165

Project Summary: Frontier will receive $7,672,782 in MBPS funds for the expansion of broadband connectivity to 4,165 targeted addresses in the greater Ravenswood area of Jackson County. This project will serve locations in the communities of Ravenswood, Cottageville, Sandyville, Evans, Ripley, Millwood, Mount Alto, Peewee, Somerville Fork, Le Roy, Amigo, Elizabeth, and Lundale. The project will include the installation of approximately 381 miles of fiber infrastructure to provide broadband service in the project area.

New FCC Maps Find Thousands Of Unserved Broadband Locations In W.Va.

High speed internet is one step closer for unserved parts of West Virginia with new maps just released by the FCC.

High speed internet is one step closer for unserved parts of West Virginia with new maps just released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

During a briefing with West Virginia reporters, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced the release of the updated broadband maps for the entire country. He said the first round of maps came out last November, but were quickly challenged.

In response, the Federal Communications Commission changed how it determined the presence of broadband in an area — switching from census tracts to individual homes and businesses.

In an online statement, Susan Rosenworcel, the FCC chairwoman, said the new maps “identified every household and small business in the country that should have access to high-speed internet service. For context on how much more granular this is than what came before, in our current mapping effort the Commission identified over 114 million locations where fixed broadband could be installed compared to data from just 8.1 million census blocks in our prior maps.”

Manchin said the new mapping revealed 86,000 more locations in West Virginia without reliable broadband bringing the number to 271,000.

“There shouldn’t be a person living anywhere in West Virginia that won’t be able to access coverage,” he said. “That’s how big this is.”

Manchin said the change in areas that are unserved places West Virginia in the top 10 states with increased numbers.

“We’ve been saying that because our maps were so flawed. We proved this to them during speed tests,” he said. “They were going to pay out the money a long time ago. We prevented that from going out until we got accurate maps. West Virginia should take care of every little nook and cranny in our state, which is our goal.”

As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a total of $65 billion will be available to internet service providers to build the access. According to the FCC website, in June the new maps will be released to those service providers so they can begin preparing their bid proposals.

Manchin didn’t say how much money the state will get for broadband, but noted it is much more expensive to build towers and lines in West Virginia than it is in Ohio or Iowa because of the terrain and access to cover the needed areas.

Justice Announces Third Round Of LEAD Broadband Funding

A new round of funding has been announced for the State’s LEAD program.

Gov. Jim Justice announced $6 million in grant funding Tuesday for the Line Extension Advancement and Development, or LEAD program, a component of the state’s Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy.

The funding will go toward two broadband projects, building 768 miles of new fiber infrastructure across Kanawha, Jackson, and Lincoln Counties and connecting to 9,337 addresses.

One project will expand broadband services in Sissonville and its surrounding areas. The other will take place in Alum Creek and portions of northern Lincoln county.

The LEAD program includes $75.6 million, including $48 million in state funding, that is being invested into 18 broadband projects throughout West Virginia. The projects are projected to add 1800 miles of fiber infrastructure and expand to 20,000 properties.

More Money For Broadband Expansion Announced

Gov. Jim Justice announced a third round of grants for broadband expansion Monday, the largest investment yet in his Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy.

More than $20 million will go to broadband projects across the state and will result in more than 600 miles of new fiber infrastructure through several projects.

The state’s investment in this round makes an additional $13 million available from other funding sources, for a total broadband infrastructure investment of more than $34 million.

This is the first round of grants awarded through the Major Broadband Project Strategies (MBPS) program.

Grants were previously announced in January and March totaling more than $17 million and almost $4 million, respectively.

According to the governor’s office, in total, more than $60 million has been committed to 16 major broadband infrastructure projects across West Virginia.

Additional approvals will be announced soon.

Legislature Reviews Broadband Investment Plan

The review comes after the legislature created a $100 million dollar investment fund for broadband last October as part of Gov. Jim Justice’s West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan (WVBIP).

The West Virginia Legislature’s Joint Committee on Technology heard a review of future broadband development on Tuesday.

The review comes after the legislature created a $100 million dollar investment fund for broadband last October as part of Gov. Jim Justice’s West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan (WVBIP).

West Virginia Community Advancement and Development’s Director of the Office of Broadband, Kelly Workman, says they are making plans to connect 300,000 new addresses to high speed Internet.

“When we talk about our 300,000 number, we’re talking about specific locations,” Workman said. “So if you do a basic multiplier of 2.4 or 2.2 residents per home, that number is greatly increased when we’re talking about individuals who are unserved in West Virginia.”

Ten line extension projects across regions like the Northern Panhandle, north-central West Virginia, and Kanawha County have been approved as of the interim meeting.

These current projects, funded by grants awarded through the Line Extension Advancement and Development program, are expected to create roughly 450 miles worth of fiber infrastructure and provide high speed internet to 4,650 homes and businesses across the state.

Twenty-nine applications for either technical assistance or implementation have also been submitted by local governments throughout West Virginia through the state’s GigReady program, which is part of the WVBIP and was funded federally through the American Rescue Plan Act.

Similarly, 72 applications have been submitted for the Major Broadband Project Strategies program, which focuses on projects on a larger scale that span multiple counties.

As of last week, nearly 70,000 West Virginians have applied to the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, which helps those with low income pay for Internet service.