Charleston Leader

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved $32,235,629 for the West Virginia Department of Economic Development. These funds will provide matching support for the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, funded through the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA).

The funding will be used to meet BEAD's minimum 25% match requirement in West Virginia's 18 economically distressed counties. It aims to connect unserved and underserved households and businesses. The BEAD program is supported by funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

“As I was crafting and negotiating the bipartisan infrastructure law, connecting our unserved and underserved communities in West Virginia with reliable broadband access was a major priority. Today, we are continuing to see the benefits of that in our state, as this grant from the ARC establishes a critical match requirement that will build on the $1.2 billion I announced last year for broadband deployment. I will continue to advocate for the resources we need to connect our last homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools with the internet access West Virginians deserve,” Senator Capito said.

In April, Senator Capito announced that West Virginia became the second state approved for their Volume II Initial Proposal for the BEAD program.