West Virginia

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) waives the FCC’s rules, on its own accord, to include in West Side Telephone Company’s (West Side’s) Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (Enhanced A-CAM) offer locations that would otherwise have been treated as served by a competitor due to a federally enforceable commitment by ClearFiber. This limited waiver applies only to the locations within West Side’s West Virginia study area where ClearFiber is no longer subject to a

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has approved Kansas, Nevada and West Virginia’s Initial Proposals for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Internet for All” initiative.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with rural cooperatives, local organizations and Tribes to support high-speed internet deployment in 11 states. USDA is awarding $5.2 million in cooperative agreements through the Broadband Technical Assistance Program, which is funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

At least 13 states intend to undertake “nondeployment” projects as part of their funding under the $42.5-billion BEAD program, according to their initial proposals. The number of states that expect money left over after allocating funds for all unserved and underserved locations could be higher, and perhaps considerably so.

The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has accepted West Virginia’s Digital Equity plan. Using $728,065 from the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program, West Virginia created a plan aimed at addressing disparities in digital access, skills and affordability across the state. States are continuing to submit their plans for NTIA’s acceptance, and NTIA will accept plans on a rolling basis. In the coming months, NTIA will launch the $1.44 billion Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. Key objectives include:

Governor Justice (R-WV) announced the preliminary approval of ten awards totaling nearly $33 million through Round 3 of the Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) program of the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan. These awards will improve access to high-speed broadband and reliable service in nine counties throughout the state and represent a significant milestone in West Virginia’s continued commitment to ensuring that every West Virginian has access to reliable broadband service. Four internet service providers will install approximately 660 miles of new infrastructure, c

Breezeline closed out construction projects in both West Virginia and New Hampshire.

In late 2023, Sens Shelley Capito (R-WV) and John Kennedy (R-LA) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel expressing concerns about the FCC's pole attachment proceedings. In January 2024, Chairwoman Rosenworcel responded, elaborating on what action the FCC has taken to improve the pole attachment process, including the establishment of the new Rapid Broadband Assessment Team.