CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) Governor Patrick Morrisey announced today that West Virginia has received a 90-day extension to submit its final proposal to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.
This action follows the Governor’s meeting with US Commerce Secretary Lutnick earlier this week to discuss the Trump administration’s plans to change the BEAD program.
The BEAD program is a federal-state partnership that aims to connect all Americans by constructing the infrastructure required to increase the adoption of high-speed internet. To that end, West Virginia has been working hard to develop a proposal that addresses the state’s specific requirements.
President Trump and Secretary Lutnick have stated their intention to make changes to the BEAD program that will allow states to better tailor the investment of BEAD funding to their specific needs, promote more technology-neutral approaches, and eliminate a variety of administrative mandates on states that do not advance the BEAD program’s core goals.
West Virginia will use the additional time granted by NTIA to collaborate closely with federal partners and West Virginia BEAD stakeholders to expedite the proposal in accordance with the Trump Administration’s proposed program changes.
This will put West Virginia in the best position to submit a final proposal that effectively addresses the program’s new focus while also bringing the state the desired BEAD funding.
This extension will allow West Virginia to focus more on how BEAD funding can be most efficiently invested and leveraged to advance the state’s overall economic development goals, such as attracting investment from AI hubs, microgrids, and data centers.
Obtaining broadband service throughout West Virginia is critical to achieving this goal; allowing the state to evaluate a broader range of technology options, including satellite and mobile wireless technologies in addition to fiber, will help West Virginia maximize high-speed internet coverage.
