West Virginia is nearing the submission of its final proposal to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications adn Details administration (NTIA) for the federal Broadband equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, possibly becoming one of the first states to do so. This comes after a frustrating delay in accessing funds allocated through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill, championed by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.va., which initially promised billions for nationwide broadband expansion.
The public comment period for West Virginia’s BEAD proposal concluded last week, with the final submission slated for Thursday, Sept. 4. This will initiate a 90-day federal review period by the NTIA, allowing for potential approval or recommended changes.
The BEAD Program, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) – with significant input from Capito and former president Joe Biden – designated over $42 billion to broaden high-speed broadband access nationwide. West Virginia was allocated $1.2 billion by the NTIA in 2023.
Originally prepared to submit its final proposal in April, West Virginia received a 90-day extension in March following a program-wide pause initiated by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The pause stemmed from concerns that the program favored certain technologies, was burdened by excessive regulations, and presented high costs.
Capito attributes the program’s slowdown primarily to the Biden administration’s regulatory hurdles, anticipating a smoother process with a potential second term for President Donald Trump. “We’re looking at almost four to five years,” Capito stated. “This money has been promised, this $1.2 billion investment into West Virginia, and not a dollar has flowed.”
According to the state’s draft proposal, the West Virginia Office of Broadband will distribute $625 million of the $1.2 billion BEAD grant to nine provisional subgrantees, aiming to expand high-speed broadband to approximately 74,000 locations. This figure represents a reduction from the 114,000 locations initially proposed, due to a reclassification of eligible areas.
The largest portions of the $625 million will be awarded to Citynet ($229.2 million), Frontier Communications ($209.3 million), and Comcast ($61.3 million). Remaining funds will be distributed among regional providers including Micrologic, GigaBeam, Prodigi Internet, armstrong, Hardy Telecommunications, and a $6.4 million allocation to Elon Musk’s Starlink.