SPENCER, W.Va. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, joined state and local officials in Spencer, W.Va. to celebrate the dedication of a multi-county fiber network project. This project, which is being spearheaded by the Roane County Economic Development Authority (RCEDA) in partnership with Citynet, aims to deliver expanded internet service to approximately 5,000 targeted homes in Roane, Jackson, Calhoun, Clay, Braxton, Webster, Gilmer, and Nicholas counties and will cover over 280 miles.
“Throughout my time in the Senate, connecting West Virginia with reliable broadband coverage has been a top priority. It’s been great to work with so many of our federal, state, and local partners and to secure a generational investment for West Virginia broadband expansion earlier this year,” Senator Capito said. “Partnerships like this show the impact we can make when it comes to better-serving communities and advancing our goal of connecting more homes and businesses here in West Virginia to high-speed internet access.”
“We are extremely appreciative of the work that Senator Capito has done through her Capito Connect program to bring high speed internet service to rural, unserved areas,” Jim Martin, CEO of Citynet, said. “Senator Capito was at the forefront of identifying the broadband challenges that exist here. Over the past few years, she has worked tirelessly to help bring the necessary funds to West Virginia and has worked with industry experts and local leaders to make sure that the use of these funds result in affordable broadband access for residents and businesses throughout West Virginia.”
“Senator Capito, Senator Manchin, Governor Justice, Secretary Carmichael and the talented people with the WV DOD Broadband’s Office has been wonderful to work with. Each has been directly involved and has provided incredible assistance to our project. We couldn’t have gotten off the starting block without our partnership with Citynet allowing us to extend fiber 286 miles across Braxton, Calhoun, Clay, Gilmer, Jackson, Roane, Webster and Nicholas Counties. This project will provide reliable, gig level internet opportunities to approximately 5,000 targeted addresses,” Roane County Economic Development Authority’s Mark Whitley said.
BACKGROUND:
Senator Capito, a lead negotiator of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), secured funding for broadband deployment in West Virginia in the final bill.
In June, Senator Capito announced that West Virginia would receive more than $1.2 billion through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program in the IIJA to deploy high-speed internet networks across the state, the largest broadband investment in the state’s history.
In July, Senator Capito hosted Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and key U.S. broadband official, in Charleston, W.Va. for a series of meetings focused on the state’s current broadband capacities and needs.
A full timeline of Senator Capito’s broadband mapping efforts for West Virginia can be found here.
Photos from today’s event are included below:
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) speaks at the dedication ceremony for a multi-county broadband expansion project in Spencer, W.Va., on Friday, October 27, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) speaks at the dedication ceremony for a multi-county broadband expansion project in Spencer, W.Va., on Friday, October 27, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) attends the dedication ceremony for a multi-county broadband expansion project in Spencer, W.Va., on Friday, October 27, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) attends the dedication ceremony for a multi-county broadband expansion project in Spencer, W.Va., on Friday, October 27, 2023.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) speaks at the dedication ceremony for a multi-county broadband expansion project in Spencer, W.Va., on Friday, October 27, 2023.
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