Kanawha County, WV (WOAY) – The federal government has approved West Virginia to receive nearly $546,000,000 to upgrade broadband internet access around the state.
The money comes in the form of a Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) grant. The money will fund 142 projects, connecting more than 73,000 locations.
The program was passed in 2023 and signed into law by the Biden administration. The state was initially supposed to receive 1.2 billion dollars. However, the Trump administration delayed the money and did an extensive review of the program.
As part of that, Governor Morrisey’s administration submitted a final proposal, leading to the new, reduced amount of more than $500,000,000. Governor Patrick Morrisey said West Virginia was one of the first states to work with the Trump administration on the funding.
In a press conference on Friday, Governor Morrisey told reporters that the reduced number is due to cuts to the program nationwide to save tax dollars.
In a press release, Senator Jim Justice said the work stretches back to his time as governor. Senator Jim Justice said in part, “We’ve made huge strides in bringing high-quality broadband access to West Virginia, and getting our communities connected to high-speed internet means everything. When I was governor, I made sure West Virginia was in the best position possible to receive this funding so that we could keep modernizing our broadband infrastructure.”
Senator Shelley Moore Capito also applauded the funding approval. She said in part, “This means West Virginia is another step closer to better-connecting our homes, businesses, and classrooms across the state. I have had dozens of conversations with the administration and our state officials, and while there is still a long road ahead to getting more West Virginians connected, we are well on our way with today’s announcement.”
