West Virginia Office of Broadband publishes BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 for public comment
The West Virginia
Department of Economic Development, Office of Broadband, (WVDED), published the BEAD Initial Proposal Volume 2 for
review and comment. Comments will be
accepted for 30 days,
beginning October 20, 2023. The document can be viewed at broadband.wv.gov and internetforallwv.wv.gov.
The WVDED in
partnership with Belomar Regional Council (Region 10) will host a public meeting to provide details about the Initial Proposal Volume 2 on Wednesday November 1, 2023, from 4 PM to 6PM, at the Ohio County Public Library (52 16th Street, Wheeling WV).
Volume 2 follows the
requirements of the
National
Telecommunication and Information Administration (NTIA) to address the
following topics: Local coordination, subgrantee selection for deployment and non-deployment,
implementation activities, labor standards, workforce readiness, provisions for minority and women owned businesses, cost and barrier reduction,
climate assessment, low-cost broadband
service, regulatory issues, middle class affordability, and other components as required by NTIA.
The WVDED and the
Regional Planning and Development Councils have previously
collaborated on multiple broadband planning
initiatives and performed public outreach meetings earlier this year. This meeting will also provide general updates on the State’s BEAD and Digital Equity Programs.
The WVDED is
responsible for deploying local and federal
broadband funds,
including $1.2 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding for
broadband development in West Virginia. BEAD is administered by NTIA. The BEAD application
requires several steps: a Five-Year Action Plan,
Initial Proposal Volume I, Initial Proposal Volume 2, followed by a Final
Proposal. The BEAD
Program also requires states to coordinate efforts with Digital Equity
planning, workforce development, and
capacity building.
Public Comment Sought
WVDED seeks public comment to ensure that this document reflects the needs of West Virginians. All members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback on the contents of the Initial Proposal Volume 2 via:
Online Comment Form, found on https://broadband.wv.gov
Printable Comment Form, can also be found on
https://broadband.wv.gov and mailed to the WVDED at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Building 3, Room 600, Charleston, West Virginia 25305. Comments must be
postmarked by November 20, 2023.
Copies of the Initial Proposal Volume 2 will be available at each of the State’s 11 Regional
Planning and
Development Councils (RPDCs).
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