West Virginia’s efforts to improve broadband for Mountain State residents and businesses remain a work in progress. But one thing that isn’t lacking is the financing to make it happen.
With Gov. Jim Justice’s announcement on Friday that outlined the various sources of funding and how it would be used, the promise of broadband improvement is starting to look more like a reality.
“This is surely a landmark day for West Virginia,” said Justice. “We’ve been talking for years about how to fix the rural broadband problem. Now we’re finally going to do it.”
The state will use money from federal, state and local governments — along with matching investments from private-sector partners — to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet to underserved areas of the state, according to information released by Justice’s office.
“Broadband is essential to modern life,” said West Virginia Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael. “This comprehensive strategy coordinates a wide variety of funding sources that add up to a record investment in high-speed internet. Thanks to Governor Justice’s leadership, West Virginia is finally poised to solve yet another problem that’s dogged us for years.”
The plan uses $236 million from the state broadband program, $362 million in Federal Communications Commission funding and $120 million from other state and federal sources, for a total of $718 million in government funding expected to be allocated by Fall 2022.
The plan is to combine that total with matching funds from the private sector or local governments to reach a goal of investing more than $1 billion in the effort to expand broadband to more than 200,000 West Virginians.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, both praised the program as an example of how COVID-19 relief funds should be used.
“What you’re putting together today, governor, is exactly what it takes,” Manchin said. “The highest priority we have is connectivity. It’s the same as my grandparents, your grandparents and great-grandparents went through the 1930s when there was no electricity.
“It was a game-changer in quality of life for everybody in West Virginia and America when electricity was basically distributed to everybody. And internet is that same type of infrastructure that’s needed for us to be able to compete and improve the quality of life in West Virginia, as we can do.”
Capito pledged to continue her efforts to bring more internet funding to West Virginia.
“This billion-dollar broadband strategy goes hand-in-hand with my Capito Connect plan by utilizing funding that I — along with others — have worked hard to secure to address our broadband challenges,” Capito said.
“Working together at the federal, state and local levels is what it will take to bridge the digital divide, and I will continue working with the governor and others, while also utilizing my roles on the Commerce and Appropriations committees, to make sure we are delivering all of the tools needed to better connect West Virginia,” she said.
While Friday’s announcement is a positive development that is worthy of praise, we also need to remember that large sums of federal and state money have been invested in the past, with at best mixed results.
All of that occurred under prior administrations, but Justice and current leaders should take heed to safeguard against such malfeasance, especially because the current plan involves about 10 times the amount of money.
Properly used, $1 billion can do much to bridge the state’s broadband gap. It’s time to make it happen.