West Virginia submits final proposal for $1.2 billion in federal broadband dollars

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey announced Thursday that the state has submitted its final proposal for BEAD (Broadband Equity and Access Deployment program) funding.

West Virginia was set to receive the federal funding in 2021, but it was delayed multiple times.

“So, we are just now reaching that point where West Virginia will be actually third, the third state in line, we hope to get approval,” Matthew Herridge, West Virginia Secretary of Commerce, said. “And so West Virginia has been just kind of on the forefront of getting this accomplished.”

The BEAD program was created to connect communities with equal broadband access in all 50 states. And in West Virginia, the program will serve 73,560 households and some businesses.

Herridge said that receiving this money has been a long time coming.

“It truly can change the state in terms of broadband access and open the doors to everyone in the state having fast, reliable internet access straight to each home in the state,” Herridge said.

Around 40,000 locations were taken off the list that were originally going to be under this program. Herridge said that this is due to some of the locations being incorrect or not existing anymore, locations receiving funds in other ways and some locations being too expensive.

Morrisey announced the final proposal to the federal government, and if it is approved, the state would receive $1.2 billion toward broadband access.

“It is an investment by the federal government in getting broadband access to all our citizens. We are on the precipice of this really happening,” Herridge said.