Tre Spencer

Gov Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) announced that the state had finalized its $1.2 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Plan to bring high-speed broadband to homes and businesses in the state. But buried in the fine print, tens of thousands of West Virginians will be left out. The plan now leaves out roughly 40,000 households or about 100,000 residents, based on the state’s average household size.

Earlier this year, West Virginia broadband officials had finally prepared a plan to bring high-speed internet to every home and business. The state was on track to serve 110,220 locations with broadband, invest millions to improve cell service and train local broadband technicians, according to a draft final proposal obtained by Mountain State Spotlight. If approved, the proposal would’ve unlocked $1.2 billion in funding from the federal Broadband Equity and Access Deployment

Thousands of West Virginians are still waiting for high-speed internet. But a new federal push that could steer more broadband funding to Elon Musk’s Starlink will make them wait even longer.

Internet providers, utility companies and West Virginia broadband officials are trying to speed up settling pole attachment disputes that threaten the state’s $1.2 billion broadband expansion, according to two proposals from a closed-door task force obtained by Mountain State Spotlight. The first would speed up resolving disputes and the second would require utilities to report more information about the status of their poles. As internet service providers apply to attach fiber or other equipment to poles owned by power companies, they’ve been charged unexpected fees and the costs associate