CHARLESTON – Thanks to recently updated coverage maps, West Virginia is set to receive its largest amount of federal broadband infrastructure dollars to date.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced Monday morning from the White House the next round of broadband expansion funding for states from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed into law in 2021 and negotiated by the U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito and Joe Manchin.
West Virginia is set to receive $1.21 billion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
The $1.21 billion for West Virginia is coming from the NTIA’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program for broadband expansion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with more than $65 billion in funding to be distributed nationwide by the NTIA.
Speaking by phone Friday in anticipation of Monday’s broadband funding announcement, Capito, R-W.Va., said West Virginia would not have received as much funding had the Federal Communications Commission not completed an overhaul of its broadband coverage maps.
“The great thing for West Virginia is we required in the legislation the maps be accurate because this is supposed to be directed to unserved and underserved areas,” Capito said. “The money will be distributed in priority to those people. West Virginia is going to be a big winner here because we still have, unfortunately, too many people unserved and underserved.”
“This is a historic announcement for the Mountain State and will benefit every West Virginian.” Manchin said in a statement Monday. “Today, not only are we announcing more than $1.2 billion to finally ensure every home in West Virginia is connected to reliable broadband. The maps now show what we knew all along – that West Virginia is one of the least-served states in the country.”