by Charles Young SENIOR STAFF WRITER
WASHINGTON (WV News) — West Virginia’s promised federal funding for broadband is now in doubt.
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced plans Wednesday to pause and perform a “rigorous review” of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
West Virginia was slated to receive $1.2 billion through the Biden-era program.
“Under my leadership, the Commerce Department has launched a rigorous review of the BEAD program,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in a statement. “The Department is ripping out the Biden Administration’s pointless requirements. It is revamping the BEAD program to take a tech-neutral approach that is rigorously driven by outcomes, so states can provide internet access for the lowest cost.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said she appreciates efforts to improve the program.
“It has been nearly three and a half years since BEAD was signed into law, and it hasn’t connected a single person in my state,” she said. “West Virginia has jumped through every hoop to deploy the $1.2 billion in broadband funding, which is sure to be a game-changer for our state’s connectivity goals. While I am all for improving the program, I do not want to see West Virginia wait longer than is necessary or have to redo their proposals and application. I will continue to push to get the more than 97,000 unserved locations and nearly 15,000 underserved locations across West Virginia connected through the BEAD program as quickly as possible.”
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced West Virginia’s share from the $42 billion program at a press conference in June 2023.
The funds were intended to help ensure that “every resident” in West Virginia will have access to affordable, high-speed internet, Raimondo said.
“Everyone. When we say ‘everyone,’ we mean everyone,” she said.
The Commerce Department did not release a timeline for its review of the BEAD program or any other details about what the review will entail.
“Under the revamped BEAD program, all Americans will receive the benefit of the bargain that Congress intended,” Lutnick said. “We’re going to deliver high-speed internet access, and we will do it efficiently and effectively at the lowest cost to taxpayers.”
Senior Staff Writer Charles Young can be reached at 304-626-1447 or cy****@th***.com
