West Virginia Getting Up to Speed

WEST VIRGINIA GETTING UP TO SPEED
[SOURCE: Charleston Daily Mail, AUTHOR: George Hohmann]
The effort to extend broadband access to all of West Virginia has received lots of attention but the state government's drive to harness technology is much bigger than that, West Virginia's chief technology officer said. "Broadband is a component of the bigger initiative," said Kyle Schafer. "Another component of our three-year strategic plan is getting technology into the home. West Virginia ranks 45th in the nation in personal computers in the home." The state Public Service Commission reported last month that only 59 percent of West Virginia households have a computer, compared to 69 percent of households nationwide. Also, "We rank 47th in ‘e-government,'" Shafer said. "Our citizens are going to the Division of Motor Vehicles and standing in line or standing in line to get a nursing license. We're looking to put those transactions online and make more and more available online. One of Gov Joe Manchin's goals is to make broadband available to all West Virginians by 2010. According to the state Public Service Commission report about advanced services, 77 percent of West Virginia households have access to high-speed Internet service although only 34.6 percent subscribe to broadband. In comparison, 86 percent of households in the country have access to broadband and 49.6 percent subscribe. Many observers were surprised in March when Gov Manchin vetoed a bill aimed at increasing broadband availability. The governor said the veto would preserve a new strategic alliance with Cisco Systems, the computer-networking giant headed by Charleston native John Chambers. Gov Manchin also said the state is working with Verizon to develop a map that shows exactly where broadband is deployed in the state today.
http://www.dailymail.com/story/Business/2007053117/W-Va-getting-up-to-speed/