CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVDN) – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of both the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation and Appropriations Committees, and Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, released the below statement regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) approval of the state’s Final Proposal for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.
Now that West Virginia is approved, the state will soon begin awarding its funding through the BEAD program to begin deploying high-speed internet networks. The funding, which was originally announced by Senator Capito in June 2023, was made possible through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that Senator Capito helped craft.
“I am thrilled that West Virginia’s BEAD plan has been approved by the Department of Commerce,” Senator Capito said. “This means West Virginia is another step closer to better-connecting our homes, businesses, and classrooms across the state. I have had dozens of conversations with the Administration and our state officials, and while there is still a long road ahead to getting more West Virginians connected, we are well on our way with today’s announcement. I look forward to continuing to help our state in any way that I can as the plan moves its way through the approval process at NIST.”
“Congratulations to West Virginia on the approval of its BEAD Final Proposal,” Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth said. “In August, I had the opportunity to visit West Virginia and meet with Senator Capito, the state broadband office, and local providers to discuss the BEAD program and the state’s work to deliver a Final Proposal that embraced the Benefit of the Bargain reforms while addressing West Virginia’s unique connectivity challenges. This trip was invaluable in deepening my understanding of those challenges, and I appreciate Senator Capito’s dedication and longstanding efforts to connect every corner of her state.”
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND ON THE FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT:
The BEAD program, and the funding for it, was made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Additionally, Senator Capito has worked diligently to advocate for the creation of this program in the IIJA, while also ensuring accurate mapping data. Specifically, she has raised concerns with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) about the past inaccuracies in their broadband maps, given broadband funding through the IIJA is directly tied to these maps.
Following the announcement of the funds in June 2023, Senator Capito penned an op-ed that appeared in outlets across West Virginia to highlight the importance of the funding. Click here to read the full op-ed.
In August 2025, Senator Capito hosted a roundtable discussion on broadband and the BEAD Program with Arielle Roth, Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Senator Capito and Administrator Roth were also joined by federal and state partners, internet service providers, and leaders from across West Virginia.
BACKGROUND ON CAPITO EFFORTS TO ENSURE ACCURATE BROADBAND MAPPING:
Senator Capito has led efforts in ensuring West Virginia’s broadband maps are as accurate as possible so funding can be directed to the areas that need it most. When the first version of the FCC’s national broadband map came out in November 2022, West Virginia’s underserved and unserved data was far off. West Virginia worked hard to improve the data for the updated map that came out in May 2023. Over 86,000 challenges were accepted and West Virginia was one of the top 10 most improved states. This updated map found that just over 271,000 serviceable locations in West Virginia do not have broadband access. Last November, the FCC announced their fifth iteration of the maps based on data from as recent as June 2024. Senator Capito continues to support the development of the National Broadband Map as the BEAD program continues to progress.
A timeline of Senator Capito’s efforts to ensure accurate broadband mapping data and secure this funding can be found here.
DETAILS ON THE BEAD PROGRAM:
The BEAD Program provides resources to expand high-speed Internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs. The program, which was created through IIJA, is a federal grant program that aims to get all Americans online by funding partnerships between states or territories, communities, and stakeholders to build infrastructure where we need it to and increase adoption of high-speed internet. BEAD prioritizes unserved locations that have no internet access or that only have access under 25/3 Mbps and underserved locations only have access under 100/20 Mbps.
