The chief of the federal office overseeing an enormous expansion of high-speed internet connectivity visited West Virginia, one of the states that’s set to benefit most.
Alan Davidson, chief of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, accompanied Senator Shelley Moore Capito and met with state officials including Gov. Jim Justice, Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael and West Virginia’s officials responsible for broadband connectivity.
“There’s a big challenge here. And it is amazing that here we are in 2023, and there are literally hundreds of thousands of households in West Virginia and millions across the country that do not have that basic internet connection that they need to thrive in the modern economy,” Davidson said on MetroNews “Talkline.”
“One thing I think I’ve really seen — there’s really no substitute for being here on the ground, getting a chance to meet with people directly who are engaged in this project.”
Davidson, the senator, the governor, the development secretary and others were participating in a press conference at the Capitol to discuss the potential and the safeguards for the $1.2 billion.
Meanwhile, state officials are also encouraging West Virginians to complete a statewide broadband survey by July 30. It’s a speed test, meant to help identify areas that lack adequate internet access.
The money is coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in 2021. Capito and Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., voted for the bill. Congressman Alex Mooney, now running for Senate, and Congresswoman Carol Miller voted against it.
West Virginia’s share of expansion money through the Biden Administration’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program was announced late last month. West Virginia is among the 19 states receiving more than a billion dollars in funding. Texas received the most with a $3.3 billion allocation, followed by California with $1.8 billion.
“What would West Virginia normally have gotten out of the pie? Would we really have expected that West Virginia’s part of the pie would be $1.2 billion? There’s no way,” Justice, also a current Senate candidate, said at the press conference.
“Normally, what we would have expected in West Virginia is we’d have gotten $50,000 and three tickets to the Wendy’s show.”
The relative amount for West Virginia is so high because the state was able to demonstrate through very focused mapping that highlighted unserved and underserved locations.
“I think the challenge of geography, topography and the business case that we need to be able to make to get providers to make sure they’re connecting everybody is a clear challenge,” Davidson said on “Talkline.”
“And it is amazing to me that we’ve talked to people who still don’t have that basic American internet connection in their home and we’re not talking about folks that are living on a on a hilltop somewhere isolated. And so, to me, I think the thing that was just striking was, how much we still have to do, but also how how, how the state’s thinking in a holistic way.”
State officials have said about 300,000 locations in West Virginia will receive service over the next few years, and a realistic goal is to reach every community and household. West Virginia is also using other major funding sources like the American Rescue Plan Act to extend high-speed internet to rural locations.
“About all of the funding side about $1.2 billion. That’s a lot of money. It’s actually only a piece of what’s coming in now. We’ve got other grant programs that are in action, the governor spending money as well, pulling that all together and making sure we have a unified plan that’s going to make sure we connect everybody, I’m confident that West Virginia will be able to,” Davidson said.
West Virginia won’t be able to just roll out the money immediately. The state must go through a series of steps meant to ensure efficiency and accountability. The next big step is submitting a five-year action plan, which is due August 12. Following that is an initial proposal, to be broken into two volumes.
“We’ve had challenges in the past with some accountability issues, and we’re not going to let that happen again,” Capito said. “So we’ve already done step one to maximize it, and that’s to make sure we have accurate mapping, that we know all the unserved and underserved areas of the state.”
Manchin did not take part in the in-person visit, but the senator thanked Davidson for his interest and willingness to travel to West Virginia.
“With this historic federal investment, we will not only improve the quality of life for thousands of families but also provide our communities with the tools and infrastructure needed to be competitive in the 21st century,” Manchin stated.
“As the only member of Congress to formally challenge the FCC coverage maps and prove them wrong, I will not stop working for West Virginians until this broadband service becomes a reality for everyone.”