WASHINGTON, D.C. (WVDN) — 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 to the West Virginia Department of Economic Development to provide matching funds for the Broadband, Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, funded through the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA).
This funding will be used to meet the BEAD program’s minimum 25% match requirement in the state’s 18 economically-distressed counties and will be used to connect unserved and underserved household and businesses. The BEAD program, and the funding for it, was made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“As I was crafting and negotiation 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.
