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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.

Improving Broadband Accuracy In The Mountain State

Community members and state officials met with the West Virginia Broadband office and U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin to discuss new broadband coverage maps from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Participants were shown how to check their area’s coverage, and if it is incorrect, how to challenge the maps.

“West Virginia is primed to receive and compete for hundreds of millions of dollars to bring reliable, affordable broadband access to all West Virginians, regardless of where they live. But only if those locations are accurately mapped,” Manchin said. “In recent years I have submitted more than 2,400 speed tests from West Virginians that proved the FCC’s maps were and maybe still are incorrect. We are going to find out.”

Manchin emphasized how important it was to get the maps correct in order to deliver resources to the public, referencing the Rural Electrification Act passed in 1936 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

“Today, the fight to bring reliable broadband to communities across the nation is just as important as electrification was back then,” Manchin said. “Without access to the internet, citizens can’t learn, apply for jobs, launch new businesses or become members of society that can give back to their communities.”

These maps are pre-production updates and open to changes, available for challenges in session and any resulting changes to the maps.

“This is a great opportunity I think for people to get clarity as we look at all of the dollars, billions of dollars that are going to be going into our states. We want to make sure in West Virginia, the promises are kept,” Capito said. “The amount of dollars that we get to expand our broadband service is going to be calculated upon how many people are unserved and underserved in our regions.”

Manchin and Capito said the new maps are a result of years of urging the FCC to update their incorrect broadband coverage maps.

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.

Broadband Legislation Sets Carrier Parameters, Consumer Protections

A sweeping broadband bill recently passed by the West Virginia Legislature provides protections for current and future internet customers.

To properly disburse up to $2 billion for broadband service and extension, the new legislation sets requirements for all telecommunications carriers regarding the use of federal dollars.

Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, talks with fellow delegates on the House floor during session.

Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, said the law mandates the mapping of environmental or historical infrastructure impacts when installing fiber optic cable below or above ground. It also safeguards customers from carriers passing on tax fees, charging for a paper bill instead of a digital bill or paying when service is out.

“In most other types of products and services, including power and water, there’s a major desire for the provider to get that back up and running,” Linville said. “Because they can’t make any money if the service isn’t working. And we wanted to apply that to broadband service as well.”

Linville hopes the 300,000 or so West Virginia households without broadband access will be connected in much less than the five year federal funding deadline.

Legislative Leaders Discuss Priorities At Lookahead Session

Panel discussions during the West Virginia Press Association’s annual Legislative Lookahead brought together lawmakers from the West Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates along with other state stakeholders with the media focused to discuss their priorities in the upcoming legislative session.

The discussions focused on education, economic development, broadband and infrastructure.

Senate President Craig Blair noted that he traditionally doesn’t sponsor legislation, but he plans to introduce Senate Bill 1 this year, to create a Mine Reclamation Mutual to alleviate concerns over mine reclamation bonds. He pointed out this will be a similar program to the workers compensation program that began in West Virginia as BrickStreet Insurance.

Blair said one company holds about 60 percent of the mine reclamation bonds and if anything would happen to that company it could cost the state between $1 billion and $8 billion, according to estimates.

“What we’re hoping to do is take a $50 million loan, just like we did for workers comp and physicians mutual and make it so that these coal companies that they choose to have their own mutual that they can get the mine reclamation bonds through there,” Blair said. “The better the process works, the lower the cost of the bond.”

Blair also said he expects to see a flat budget proposal from the governor’s office and he supports that.

Last month, Blair joined Gov. Jim Justice and House Speaker Roger Hanshaw to announce they are moving forward with a pay raise for all state employees along with a bonus as well. Blair said he was an advocate for those raises.

Senate Minority Leader Stephen Baldwin from Greenbrier County noted that one of his highest priorities is broadband infrastructure. He wants people to be able to come to West Virginia and work but said they need broadband to do that.

“There are folks who have moved to the Greenbrier Valley in the midst of COVID, because they want that experience of West Virginia,” Baldwin said. “But they need broadband in order to do that, and they can’t get it. And so they’re gonna have to move. That’s unacceptable, we’ve got to reverse that trend.”

A project Hanshaw brought up was a site readiness program to identify locations for businesses that want to move to West Virginia.

“This would enable our Department of Commerce and our Department of Economic Development to have more marketable sites, more marketable facilities ready to pitch to those prospects that have identified West Virginia as a place that they might consider relocating their business,” Hanshaw said.

House Minority Leader Delegate Doug Skaff from Kanawha County noted that while he is fully supportive of efforts to bring people to West Virginia, he wants to find ways to encourage younger generations to stay.

“I just recently spoke to a high school class A couple days ago,” Skaff said. “I asked them to raise your hand if you plan to finish your degree in either high school or college in West Virginia, and stay in West Virginia. Five out of 22 raised their hand. Five out of 22 in one class said that they were going to plan to stay in West Virginia.

The meeting switched from in person to virtual earlier this week because of COVID-19 exposures. That brought up the question of what precautions will be in place during the session. Hanshaw said there are no plans to have restrictions at the start.

“We’re starting to process next week, under the assumption that we’ll be business as usual, up and until circumstances warrant some kind of a change,” he said. “I’m not saying we would not make a change. I’m just saying we are not starting out that way.”

The 2022 West Virginia Legislative session begins Jan. 12.

W.Va. Internet Customers Urged To Take Broadband Speed Test

West Virginia internet customers are being asked to take a broadband speed test to improve access in the state.

“Data collected from the speed test will be instrumental in making decisions about broadband access in West Virginia moving forward,” state Department of Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael said in a news release.

Information from the tests will be used to create a map identifying where investment in broadband is needed most, the agency said.

The test is available at broadband.wv.gov. Click the red button that says “TAKE THE SPEED TEST” at the top of the page and follow the steps.

A few additional questions about location and internet service follow the test, and the whole process takes about five minutes.

The Broadband Enhancement Council is also involved in publicizing the speed test through a campaign using text messages and digital advertising.