March 10, 2022

Manchin Announces Funding To Expand Broadband Access To More Than 79,000 West Virginia Locations

West Virginia will receive $247.6 million to expand access to 79,391 locations

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that West Virginia will receive $247.6 million over the next decade from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to expand broadband access to 79,391 locations across West Virginia. Broadband service provider Frontier was approved by the FCC after an exhaustive technical, financial and legal review of all winning bidders. After concerns were raised that the FCC had not properly vetted applicants in its rush to roll out RDOF, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel established the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan to adequately address the lack of adequate coverage maps. According to BroadbandNow, the FCC has overestimated broadband coverage in West Virginia more than any other state in the nation, and more than 2,400 West Virginians have proven it through speed tests submitted to the FCC.
 
“Affordable, reliable broadband access is vital to the success and growth of our communities across West Virginia and is crucial for attending telehealth appointments, supporting small businesses and staying in contact with family, friends and loved ones,” Senator Manchin said. “While I am pleased West Virginia will receive $247.6 million to expand broadband access in the state, there is still work to be done to ensure that providers who receive federal funding make good on their promises. I applaud the FCC for listening to my concerns and establishing the Rural Broadband Accountability Plan, which is a good first step in ensuring accountability. I will continue to work closely with West Virginia lawmakers to give them the tools they need to hold companies accountable, and I encourage West Virginians to take a speed test and send it to my office to help hold these broadband providers accountable for providing quality, affordable broadband for all West Virginians.”
 
Senator Manchin was instrumental in securing funds for updated broadband coverage maps at the FCC, as well as tying billions of dollars in new broadband funding in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to updated maps and the strengthening of procedures that hold providers accountable for nonperformance, including measures that require them to pay back funds if they fail to provide the coverage they have promised.
 
West Virginians can submit broadband coverage speed tests here.
 
Senator Manchin’s recent work to update the incorrect broadband maps:

  • In February 2022, Senator Manchin led 16 bipartisan Senators in encouraging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Assistant Secretary Alan Davidson to follow Congressional intent in implementing the $65 billion included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for broadband expansion efforts across the United States.
  • In February 2022, Senator Manchin questioned U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo on the implementation of the $65 billion for broadband expansion efforts included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
  • In October 2021, Senator Manchin announced that West Virginia broadband service provider Citynet will receive $53,513,114 over the next decade from the first round of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) to expand broadband access across West Virginia.
  • In August 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes $65 billion for broadband deployment, access, and affordability. Specifically, it includes $42.45 billion in grants to states based on a formula from Senator Manchin’s Eliminate the Digital Divide Act, which provides funds to states through their proportion of unserved areas. Funding is tied to the updated FCC maps. The bipartisan infrastructure bill also includes provisions to speed up the FCC’s implementation of the Broadband DATA Act and make it more accessible to consumers and inclusive to communities.
  • In June 2021, Senator Manchin submitted another group of speed tests from West Virginians to the FCC to assist in efforts to quickly update the broadband coverage maps. Over 2,400 West Virginians have submitted speed tests to Senator Manchin.
  • In April 2021, Senator Manchin led 17 Senators in calling on the FCC to ensure that state, local and tribal governments are included in efforts to update nationwide broadband maps.
  • In February 2021, Senator Manchin applauded the FCC’s announcement of the establishment of a task force to fix the incorrect maps.
  • In December 2020, Senator Manchin announced $362,066,660 from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) Phase I auction to expand broadband access at nearly 120,000 locations across West Virginia over the next decade through nine providers who won bids.
  • In October 2020, Senator Manchin submitted over 2,000 broadband speed tests from West Virginians to the FCC to prove the FCC’s broadband coverage maps are incorrect and must be fixed.
  • In March 2020, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Act (Broadband DATA Act). This bill will help to fix the country’s faulty broadband coverage maps and contains several key provisions that came directly from Senator Manchin’s efforts as well as his bill, the Map Improvement Act of 2019.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to expand broadband can be found here.