Governor Jim Justice announced a billion dollar broad band expansion plan for around 200,000 West Virginia homes and businesses.
“Today I am announcing a billion dollars, a billion dollar broadband strategy,” Justice said. “It’s like nothing that we’ve ever done before.”
According to news release from the Governor Justice’s office, the plan will combine funding from federal, state, and local governments, along with matching investments from private-sector partners, to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet to under served areas of the state.
Justice was joined by the members of the state legislature and the state’s congressional delegation for today’s announcement. Justice said the project will be funded through a pair of federal and state initiatives including the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund through the Federal Communication Commission and the West Virginia Broadband Initiative that will be operated through the state Office of Broadband and Broadband Council using mostly federal pandemic relief money.
$718 million in state and federal funding is expected to be allocated by fall next year.