October 18, 2019

Manchin, FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel Visit Romney And Weston To Discuss Rural Broadband Access

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel today hosted town halls on broadband connectivity in Romney and with Lewis County High School students and community leaders, and a roundtable at the Stonewell Jackson Hospital in Weston. The town halls and roundtables gave Senator Manchin and Commissioner Rosenworcel the opportunity for dialogue with West Virginians about broadband access, their experience with broadband coverage in the state, and the importance of conducting speed tests in order to create accurate coverage maps for rural states like West Virginia.

“If you lived in rural West Virginia in the 1930’s, you probably didn’t have electricity until President Franklin D. Roosevelt came along with rural electrification projects to bring us into the modern age. Today in West Virginia, many places don’t have good connectivity, broadband, even cell service,” said Senator Manchin. “That’s what we’re fighting for because we’re not going to be able to compete, we’re not going to be able to grow, and we’re not going to be able to have a strong economy if we don’t have connectivity. FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel understands West Virginia and fighting for rural connectivity, and I thank her for joining us here in West Virginia today to ensure that everyone has access to broadband.”

“Broadband is more than a technology—it’s a platform for opportunity.  No matter who you are or where you live in this country, you need access to advanced communications to have a fair shot at 21st century success. But too many West Virginians do not have the broadband they need to do their homework, build a business, apply for a job, or get access to healthcare. Thanks to Senator Manchin for welcoming me to the state to meet with students, healthcare professionals, and civic leaders to get a first-hand look at the state’s broadband challenges and opportunities. I’m also grateful that Senator Manchin has taken a keen interest in improving broadband mapping in West Virginia so we fully understand where service and is and is not and can use that data to help expand deployment to more people in more communities,” said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel.

Until the FCC establishes a user-friendly public feedback mechanism to allow West Virginians to help validate the FCC’s coverage data, Senator Manchin will continue to send speed test results to Chairman Pai. In order to send speed test results to Chairman Pai, Senator Manchin encourages you to send your own speed test results to the FCC by emailing a screenshot of your speed test (if possible) along with the following information to speedtest@manchin.senate.gov.

  1. The name of the speed testing application used (i.e: Ookla, FCC speed test application, NACo’s TestIT application, WV Broadband Enhancement Council’s speed test etc.)
  2. The type of device used to take a speed test (i.e: Apple iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy, laptop etc.)
  3. Type of broadband service (fixed or mobile)
  4. Name of provider
  5. Address of area tested
  6. Latitude and Longitude (if available)
  7. A brief description of the challenges you have experienced due to your lack of broadband service

Or, if you are unable to email this information due to lack of service, please send the information above to his Washington, DC office:

Senator Joe Manchin III

306 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510