After years of planning, West Virginia is poised for a historic broadband expansion. However, just as broadband officials prepare to launch projects later this year, a new federal review threatens to slow things down.
During a House committee meeting in late February, Kelly Workman, director of the West Virginia Office of Broadband, informed committee members that the final application for a massive broadband investment due in April was nearly finished.
“There’s really not a day to waste, we’ve waited long enough to see this happen,” she shared with lawmakers.
The Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program is a $42 billion federal investment that will fund broadband projects across the country.
West Virginia secured one of the largest pots of money, totaling $1.2 billion. The investment is expected to provide high-speed internet to over 114,000 homes and businesses across the state.
West Virginia has made progress in preparing for the investment, but any federal changes could cause delays and leave West Virginians waiting even longer for high-speed, reliable internet.
Just one week after Workman spoke, federal officials announced a “rigorous review” of the program.
U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated that the previous administration had “favoritism towards certain technologies and burdensome regulations” and had not “connected a single person to the internet.”
Currently, the program favors traditional on-the-ground internet providers due to fiber’s reliability. Lutnick stated that the department would make the program technology neutral.
This could allow nontraditional providers, such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, to receive a larger share of federal funds. Almost three years ago, Starlink was denied $900 million in federal subsidies for failing to provide adequate internet speeds to customers.
Blair Levin, a telecommunications policy expert at New Street Research, believes the Trump administration will eliminate requirements for environmental reviews, workforce regulations, and equity and inclusion incentives.
“States aren’t starting from scratch, but any changes to the program will delay projects by at least a year,” he informed me. “They’ve spent three years planning, so let them finish.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, said in a statement that she supports any program improvements but does not want West Virginia to “wait longer than is necessary or have to redo” its proposals and applications.
Sen. Robbie Morris, R-Randolph, who previously chaired the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council, stated that things are currently on track.
He stated that federal officials have not changed the upcoming application deadline, and broadband officials are waiting to hear more. Morris stated that he is working with Governor Patrick Morrisey to bring him up to speed on the program.
In recent years, West Virginians have told Mountain State Spotlight that they need reliable internet. In Raleigh County, one resident described it as a “literal lifeline” for work, while others complained about outages and high prices.
Prior to the funding, broadband officials have been working with regulators, utility companies, and internet providers to address issues that could stall deployment, such as pole attachments, which have been a long-standing issue in the state.
In previous years, lawmakers attempted to address pole issues but were met with opposition from both internet and utility providers. In 2017, then-Gov. Jim Justice signed a broad broadband bill that sparked opposition from internet providers such as Frontier.
The company sued, claiming that a portion of the bill violated federal law by allowing third parties to tamper with its equipment on poles without notifying the company. A federal judge overturned that portion of the law.
Today, pole disputes remain a problem. State regulators have written new rules to address the issue before the BEAD funds are distributed.
Bill Bissett, the new chairman of West Virginia’s Broadband Enhancement Council, stated that program funding is critical to providing broadband to those in need and closing the state’s digital divide.
He said he hopes any changes to BEAD will allow state broadband officials to move forward without delay.
“$1.2 billion in funding for broadband deployment in West Virginia is simply a game changer,” said Mr. Smith. “The end goal is to get everyone connected and this significant funding will move us much closer to our goal.”
