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$1.2 Billion Grant To Expand Broadband Coverage To All W.Va. Homes

The U.S. Department of Commerce has granted West Virginia $1.2 billion for affordable broadband services. More than 300,000 West Virginia households were underserved by broadband in 2023.

Spotty internet access has long proven an issue for the mountainsides of West Virginia.

In 2023, more than 300,000 households across the state were unserved or underserved by broadband coverage. This month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) found that coverage in the Mountain State ranks second-worst nationally, besting only Alaska.

But a new federal grant aims to address current gaps in coverage, ensuring that every household can receive broadband internet services.

On Thursday, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) granted West Virginia more than $1.21 billion for high-speed internet services based on a plan first announced in 2023.

The funding comes from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program — part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Joe Biden signed into effect in 2021.

These funds will go toward the creation of new broadband internet infrastructure in regions with low internet download and upload speeds.

West Virginia residents can anticipate improvements to their internet services between one-and-a-half and five years after funds are distributed, according to Evan Feinman, BEAD program director.

Specific timelines vary from region to region based on “proximity to existing infrastructure,” he said during a virtual press briefing Thursday.

State grants were determined based on current broadband coverage needs, and were finalized through a collaboration between state and federal officials, Feinman said.

This meant coordinating with the West Virginia Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband.

After an initial figure for the state’s grant was set by NTIA in 2023, state officials had to develop specific plans for how grant dollars would be spent, according to Kelly Collins Workman, the office’s director.

This included crafting a five-year plan for how improvements would be implemented, plus strategies for promoting digital equity across the state, she said.

When the “historic opportunity” to participate in the BEAD program came along, Collins Workman said her office “poured our heart and soul” into the application process “to secure $1.2 billion for our state.”

“We jumped in with both feet,” she said. “We worked as hard as we could, as fast as we could.”

Mitch Carmichael, cabinet secretary for the department, said the collaboration was crucial to expanding economic resources for West Virginians.

“When we connect people in every corner of our state — and every hill and every valley and every region — the world becomes a better place,” he said.

Carmichael emphasized that changes provided by the program would be sweeping. “This program will reach every address. Every single address,” he said.

The BEAD grant comes during a particularly tenuous moment for affordable internet services nationally, as funding for a federal internet subsidy program used widely in West Virginia is set to lapse this month.

Since 2021, the FCC has provided broadband internet subsidies to low-income households nationwide through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).

More than 127,000 West Virginia households rely on the program for support. But a renewal of the program’s funding has failed to receive bipartisan support in Congress, despite pushes from Democratic lawmakers.

Feinman said ACP’s goals differ from those of the BEAD program. Where ACP provides households financial support to afford internet services, BEAD creates infrastructure so that it is possible to access the internet in the first place.

Still, Feinman said the two programs have overlapping missions, and that NTIA officials were “disappointed” by the program’s imminent expiration.

“A kid who grows up in a house with a reliable internet connection has a higher GPA, [and is] more likely to go to postsecondary education,” he said. “Elderly folks can age in place safely. There’s such tremendous benefits to having folks get online.”

Feinman said that the existence of subsidy programs like ACP gave way to the development of new broadband infrastructure programs like BEAD.

With more residents able to afford internet services, companies were encouraged to spread their infrastructure projects nationally, he said. This includes the rural and low-income communities targeted by programs like BEAD.

“The program going away is going to make it more expensive to build these networks,” Feinman said. “That said, we are still going to be able to get them to every single West Virginia home and business.”

While ACP’s renewal struggled to receive bipartisan support on the Senate floor, state officials’ praise for the BEAD program stretched across the aisle.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said that the BEAD program has provided important resources to residents across West Virginia. In a Thursday statement, he renewed his commitment to ensuring the state can “deliver broadband service to every West Virginia family and business.”

Likewise, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said in a Thursday statement that the new grant would “better connect homes, businesses and classrooms across the state.”

“While there is still a long road ahead to getting more West Virginians connected, we are well on our way,” she said.

Internet Service Providers Required To Display Consumer Friendly Product Labeling

The new federal rules say any company, large or small, that offers standalone broadband internet service is required to prominently display consumer friendly labels at the point of sale, including in store and online.

Broadband labeling has been in development since 2015, and was completed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Biden Administration.

The new federal rules take effect April 10, 2024. They say any company, large or small, that offers standalone broadband internet service is required to prominently display consumer friendly labels at the point of sale, including in store and online.

This broadband label was purposefully stylized after food nutrition labels.

*Courtesy of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)*

The labeling will resemble the nutrition labels found on food products. The labels must be easy-to-read and include broadband prices, introductory rate details, data allowances and broadband speeds. The labels must also include easy-to-navigate links to learn more about available discounts or service bundles, network management practices and privacy policies.

Separate labels must be displayed for each standalone broadband service offered and it cannot be buried where multiple clicks are reduced to a link, thumbnail or icon that a consumer might miss.

FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief Alejandro Roark said it was vital to get internet access service clarified and simplified.

“The FCC borrowed the nutrition label model format from food products because we wanted to make basic information about broadband internet service easily recognizable and easy to understand,” Roark said. “Our rules require that these labels be fully displayed at the point of sale, including on the main purchasing pages that providers may have online.”

Deputy Director of the White House National Economic Council Jon Donenberg said the labels will help consumers comparison shop for internet service, eliminating obscure terms and fine print.

“It will make sure that you have a clear, straightforward explanation of your home internet and mobile plans and services before you sign up for anything,” Donenberg said. “That transparency will also save you money. By making it easier to directly compare plans from one provider to another. Consumers will be able to get the best and most affordable deal on the market or the exact type of service that they need. And companies can compete on offering better terms, not just more confusing ones.”

Roark said the labeling requirements will be extended to the consumer’s monthly bills.

“We’re also making sure that consumers access the standardized, easy to understand information about their internet service plan and doesn’t end when they sign up for service.” Roark said. “In particular, the commission required internet service providers to make the labels accessible on a consumer’s online account. That means that consumers will be able to find this information whenever they pay their bill, compare their current plan to other plans, or engage in any other activity online.”

Regarding potential violations of the broadband labeling laws, the FCC Enforcement Bureau and other bureaus will monitor public reporting consumer complaints to the commission, notices from partner agencies and use other investigative tools to monitor compliance with the law, and refer matters to the Enforcement Bureau as appropriate.

Consumers who feel that the transparency rules are not being met may file complaints with the FCC. The commission will follow up on those complaints to see if there is some larger pattern that may need to be acted on.

To view a glossary that helps consumers better understand the information displayed on the label, click here.

Click here for a sample home broadband label.

Click here for a sample mobile broadband label.

More Than 127,000 W.Va. Households Could Lose Internet Access Unless Congress Allocates Funding

Officials with the Federal Communications Commission warn that a lack of congressional funding for a program that provides low-income households internet access could halt broadband services for more than 127,000 West Virginia households.

Without further funding from the United States Congress, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials warn that more than 127,000 West Virginia households could lose internet access.

The users at risk are those served by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides discounted broadband internet to low-income households nationwide. Across the country, roughly 23 million households depend on the program.

“The Affordable Connectivity Program is connecting millions and millions of households across the country,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a Thursday press release. The FCC oversees the ACP and works with its users nationwide.

“The bipartisan infrastructure law created this program, our largest-ever effort to make broadband affordable nationwide, but we now are on the brink of letting that success slip away,” Rosenworcel said.

Congress has only approved enough ACP funding to last with full support through April, and with partial support through May. Without additional funding, the program will be unable to accept new applicants in just one week, according to the press release.

Last month, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, which would allocate a new $7 billion to the ACP.

Until any additional funding is secured, program officials said they must continue with closure protocols to ensure users are aware of the risk ahead.

“Disconnecting millions of families from their jobs, schools, markets and information is not the solution,” Rosenworcel said. “We have come too far with the ACP to turn back.”

Meeting W.Va.’s Broadband Needs

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Randy Yohe sits down with Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, and Broadband Consultant Charlie Dennie to broadband connectivity for West Virginians.

On this episode of The Legislature Today, Senate President Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, and other members of the upper chamber held a press conference to discuss the recent pause on new permits for liquefied natural gas exports. Briana Heaney has the story.

In the House, the House Committee on Energy and Manufacturing discussed a bill that would prevent publicly sourced air pollution data from being used in lawsuits and regulatory proceedings.

Also, in the House, a resolution regarding a constitutional amendment over a woman’s reproductive rights is under consideration.

In the Senate, the Senate Education Committee quickly moved along five bills, many of which updated existing educational programs. One bill would add another university to the list of eligible institutions for the Promise Scholarship. Chris Schulz has more.

And, the full Senate approved and sent one bill to the House. It would permit wineries to serve wine without serving food, and it would also permit wine to be served at festivals. The Senate advanced eight other bills. Two of these bills, if passed without amendments, will head to the governor’s desk. Briana Heaney has more.

Advocates from across the state gathered at the state capitol Thursday to bring attention to sexual violence. Emily Rice has the story.

Finally, in meeting the plan to have broadband connectivity for all of West Virginia within five years, there are progress and time markers that must be met to get all the $1.2 billion federal dollars to complete the work. Randy Yohe sits down with Del. Daniel Linville, R-Cabell, and Broadband Consultant Charlie Dennie to talk about meeting those markers.

Having trouble viewing the video below? Click here to watch it on YouTube.

The Legislature Today is West Virginia’s only television/radio simulcast devoted to covering the state’s 60-day regular legislative session.

Watch or listen to new episodes Monday through Friday at 6 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

W.Va. Advances Bill That Would Require Age Verification For Internet Pornography

People in West Virginia would need to present some form of state-sponsored identification before accessing internet pornography under a bill that advanced Monday in the Republican-dominated state House of Delegates.

Sponsors say the bill, similar to one passed in Virginia last year, is meant to prevent children from accessing harmful explicit material. The proposal passed the House Judiciary Committee with little discussion and will now be considered by the full chamber.

The legislation would require companies with “materials harmful to minors” making up a “substantial portion” — or a little over 33% — of its website offerings to perform ”reasonable age verification methods.”

Material harmful to minors is defined as content that the “average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find, taking the material as a whole and with respect to minors, is designed to appeal to, or is designed to pander to, the prurient interest.”

The bill also provides a detailed list of sexual acts that depiction of would be restricted.

Lead sponsor GOP Del. Geno Chiarelli said the 33% provision is meant to “act as a buffer” for social media websites like X, formerly known as Twitter, that host adult content, but pornography is not the “intent of the website.”

“That protects us from having to go after, you know, requiring social media companies to require the same type of verification that you would of Pornhub or something like that,” he said.

The company would not be allowed to retain any identifying material about users once they prove they’re 18 or older. The proposal would not apply to content published by news organizations.

People would be able to file civil lawsuits against companies that violate the proposed law.

Online Academic Resources Now Available For Southern W.Va. Students

Students in some southern counties will soon have access to online academic help.

Students and their families from Mercer, Monroe, Summers, Raleigh and Wyoming counties currently enrolled in 7th or 8th grade can now access 24/7 academic support via Tutor.com. Students and parents can connect with a live tutor during sessions, drop off writing samples or assignments to get direct feedback on assignments, prepare for tests and more.

The online resources are made available to students via a partnership between Tutor.com and GEAR UP Southern West Virginia (SWV).

Program Director Kristen O’Sullivan, said GEAR UP is a national Department of Education program to help young people in economically challenged areas to reach post-secondary education.

“GEAR UP Southern West Virginia is a grant that, through Concord University, we just received in 2022-2023,” she said. “We work with a cohort of students that started with the sixth and seventh grade last year, and now they’re in seventh and eighth grade. We will follow them all the way through until their first year of post-secondary education, whether that be a four-year school, a two-year degree, the military, and we just do everything possible with them to help them be prepared and to believe that they belong and have a plan for the future.”

Tutor.com is also a resource to help parents gain confidence while helping students with schoolwork. As a native of southern West Virginia, O’Sullivan said she would have loved this kind of support when raising her own children.

“I can just remember those nights when they were struggling with something in math or struggling with certain pieces of papers they were working on, where I didn’t feel I had the capacity to be able to help them much,” she said. “Parents will no longer have to worry about that, they will have those experts right there at all times to be able to help.”

O’Sullivan said that teachers will also benefit with access to the same resources, as well as reports on what the students have been getting tutoring on.

“A teacher, let’s say in a math class, may want to be able to look back and see what are the areas the students are continuing to have questions about, so that they can then address them again in the classroom,” she said.

O’Sullivan acknowledged that internet access continues to be an issue in southern West Virginia and across the state, but implementation of COVID-19 era strategies can help to bridge the gap.

“I can tell you that Tutor.com is fully accessible from cell phones as well as from computers,” she said. “I know a lot of families, that is their internet is using their cell phone, they don’t have internet services in their homes. There’s also the things that we have learned through COVID to help people in our rural communities. They can access internet in our community libraries, in the schools, a lot of times this program will be used not just at home, but will be used in after school programming, lunchtime programming sometimes before school.”

Students younger than 13 must submit a signed permission slip before accessing the online resources.