CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today joined members of the Berkeley County Council for a meeting to discuss the importance of connectivity, as well as community and economic development. During the meeting, Senator Capito updated the council on her Capito Connect program and how it has impacted Berkeley County and the entire state.
Senator Capito launched her Capito Connect program in 2015 as an effort to better connect homes, businesses, and classrooms across the state. Since launching Capito Connect, the program has resulted in a significant increase in federal grant funding, primarily through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Specifically, under the senator’s Capito Connect initiative, more than $35 million in grant funding has been awarded in West Virginia to support broadband deployment, which will extend service to more than 17,000 households.
“High-speed internet service is essential in the 21st century,” said Senator Capito. “West Virginia communities need access to this invaluable tool in order to provide opportunity to and educate the next generation. They also need this connectivity quickly. We have made significant progress in expanding broadband infrastructure through my Capito Connect plan and local efforts, and I was glad to have the opportunity today to discuss these successes with the Berkeley County Council. I was also interested in hearing some of their connectivity challenges and ideas for new solutions moving forward. I’ve always said that connecting West Virginia requires collaboration at the state, local, and federal level, which is exactly what my Capito Connect plan aims to accomplish.”
BACKGROUND:
Senator Capito launched her Capito Connect initiative in 2015 as a roadmap to better connect West Virginia homes, businesses, and classrooms. Since launching the initiative, the program has helped increase broadband deployment and accessibility in West Virginia through public-private partnerships and driving more federal funds to the state to support broadband programs. Learn more about the program on Senator Capito’s website here.
Through her positions on the Senate Appropriations and Commerce Committees, Senator Capito has been able to leverage federal resources to help complete various broadband infrastructure projects in the state. Last month, Senator Capito kicked off her Capito Connect broadband tour in Hampshire County to highlight some of the ways the program has helped bridge the digital divide, as well as hear from community leaders, businesses, and others about their current connectivity challenges and ways to address them through Capito Connect.
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