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Congresswoman Miller Joins Governor Justice to Announce Historic $1 Billion for Broadband in West Virginia

October 15, 2021

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) joined Governor Jim Justice to announce a historic $1 billion investment to bring broadband to 200,000 West Virginia homes and businesses.

"Today is a momentous day for West Virginia," said Congresswoman Miller. "This historic broadband investment will bring more connectivity, commerce, and opportunity to our state. Governor Justice's leadership is exactly what our state needs to propel forward into the 21st century. I'm thrilled to work alongside him and our Congressional delegation to better connect the Mountain State with the rest of the world."

"This is surely a landmark day for West Virginia," Governor Justice said. "We've been talking for years about how to fix the rural broadband problem. Now we're finally going to do it. West Virginia students deserve to be able to do their homework. Our seniors deserve access to telehealth. Our businesses deserve to be able to reach their customers and suppliers. And all our residents deserve to be able to interact with their government, stay informed as citizens, and do all the hundreds of things that take high-speed internet. Starting today, we're going to make that possible."

More from Governor Jim Justice's office:
The Governor's strategy will add a $236 million state broadband program to $362 million in Federal Communications Commission funding and $120 million from other state and federal sources, for a total of $718 million in government funding expected to be allocated by fall 2022. The funds will be allocated through competitive programs that draw matching funds from private-sector and local government partners, generating more than $1 billion in total broadband investment.

The state Broadband Office estimates that this combination of resources will expand broadband availability to at least 200,000 new locations in West Virginia. According to FCC data, at least 30% of the state's rural homes and businesses currently lack adequate broadband access, leaving West Virginia with one of the nation's lowest broadband connectivity rates. Broadband expansion in West Virginia has been hindered by the cost of extending networks into mountainous rural areas.

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