West Virginia Broadband Plan

West Virginia Gov Joe Manchin thinks the Mountain State can make a good case for getting some of the $7 billion broadband money. Since taking office in 2004, Gov Manchin has emphasized that high-speed Internet is as important a commodity as water and electricity, he told Tech Daily Dose. The economic success and global competitiveness of the United States depends on it, he said. Last year, Gov Manchin advanced a bill in the state legislature that would set up a fund to pay those who successfully apply to expand Internet access in underserved areas of the state. He also proposed that the entire state have high-speed Internet access by 2010. Several years ago, Manchin set up a broadband deployment council to track access throughout the state. "It was the first of its kind in the nation and it pulled everyone under one tent to make sure we were using all the resources available," he said.