Gov Justice Announces Billion-Dollar Broadband Strategy in West Virginia

Gov Jim Justice (R-WV) unveiled a billion-dollar strategy to bring broadband availability to 200,000 more West Virginia homes and businesses. The plan will combine funding from federal, state, and local governments, along with matching investments from private-sector partners, to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet to underserved areas of the state. The plan represents by far the largest investment in broadband in the state’s history. The Governor’s strategy will add a $236 million state broadband program to $362 million in Federal Communications Commission funding and $120 million from other state and federal sources, for a total of $718 million in government funding expected to be allocated by fall 2022. The funds will be allocated through competitive programs that draw matching funds from private-sector and local government partners, generating more than $1 billion in total broadband investment. West Virginia has spent more than two years comprehensively mapping broadband access around the state, resulting in a detailed inventory of underserved locations that will allow pinpoint funding allocation.