Huntington, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Day One of the West Virginia Legislature’s interim committee meetings brought attention to ongoing efforts to expand internet access in the Mountain State. The Joint Standing Committee on Technology and Infrastructure and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance both committed a large portion of their respective meetings on the topic.
Cautious Optimism in T&I
The legislature’s tech & infrastructure committee studies and researches matters related to roads, internet, etc. and, this month, heard a status update from Allison Ellis, a Senior Vice-President at Frontier Communications, relating to the rollout of gigabit internet in West Virginia. Ellis gave a positive report of Frontier’s expansion of fiber in WV and cited speeds of 5gig up & down.
When asked for comment about Ellis’s report, Delegate Daniel Linville (R-Cabell, 22) sent the following:
“Frontier’s presentation to the Joint Committee on Technology and Infrastructure was encouraging and largely confirmed what we’ve been hearing anecdotally. They are making investments over and above what they’ve been required to by grant and other regulatory agreements.It’s clear that they understand the challenges in all of their operations that we’ve experienced in West Virginia. We’re pleased to see improvement, and we expect that to continue. We’ll be monitoring their progress closely.”
Carmichael, Workman Update Legislative Leaders
Secretary Mitch Carmichael of the West Virginia Department of Economic Development (WVED) and Kelly Workman, the Director of Broadband at WVED, updated the Joint Committee on Government and Finance (JCGF) on the status of broadband rollout, especially as it relates to public funds, such as those from American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and other projects.
Senate President Craig Blair (R-Berkeley, 15), co-chair of the JCGF, asked that the Broadband Council be present at a future meeting for a deeper discussion of the topic. He additionally asked about the need for letters of credit (WVED does not need, per Carmichael) and about private dollar matching plans.
Delegate Vernon Criss (R-Wood, 12), the House Finance chair, asked for and received assurances from Carmichael and Walker that time-sensitive money is being used on-schedule.
Senator Charles Trump (R-Morgan, 15) sought info on how Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) were being deployed.
Legislators will return to Charleston on August 5 for the next round of interim committee meetings, where broadband, fiber, and the required funds will almost certainly back on the table.