West Virginia broadband council chairman blasts FCC report, says data isn't correct

The Federal Communications Commission's recent broadband deployment report claims that seven West Virginia counties have 100-percent access to a fixed broadband connection and, overall, 82.2 percent of West Virginians have access. Rob Hinton, chairman of the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council, which oversees broadband expansion and access in the state, said the FCC's numbers are “not even close to being correct." Hinton said the FCC's "Form 477" data isn’t expected to be a flawless measure of broadband access, but added that he thinks the data in the 2018 report is exaggerated. “To me, this goes beyond having inaccuracies,” Hinton said. “It’s just disappointing. That’s all it is. At what point next year are they going to say West Virginia has 100 percent coverage?” Hinton said data the council has received from participants in its West Virginia Internet Speed Test shows roughly half of those tested have connection speeds of less than 10 megabits per second download speeds. The FCC classifies a broadband connection as 25 megabits per second download speeds and 3 megabits per second upload speeds. The FCC’s report has consequences beyond simply painting an inaccurate picture of state internet access, Hinton said. When state agencies and organizations apply for funding related to broadband deployment, those providing the funds will question a project’s necessity if the entire county supposedly has broadband access, according to Hinton. “It’s shameful,” Hinton said. “It’s just disappointing that moving forward, this is the kind of data that will dictate where we can invest infrastructure dollars.”