By West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey
In West Virginia, we know that broadband access is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for education, business, health care, and opportunity in every corner of our state. That’s why our administration is fully committed to delivering high-speed internet access to all West Virginians as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Contrary to the myth that West Virginia is somehow dragging its feet, the opposite is true. Under our leadership and with the full support of President Donald Trump, we are moving faster, smarter, and more collaboratively than ever before.
We are proud to partner with Secretary Howard Lutnick and his team at the U.S. Department of Commerce, as well as with our federal delegation, who are working diligently to accelerate the rollout of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program nationwide. Their guidance and commitment to flexibility, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness have been critical in enabling states like West Virginia to not only meet the original expectations of the program—but to exceed them.
Thanks to regular communication between the West Virginia Office of Broadband and the U.S. Department of Commerce, we are on track to make West Virginia one of the first states in line to receive BEAD funding and begin implementation. This partnership is allowing us to customize our approach, ensuring that our broadband expansion will be bigger, better, and built to last. It also allows us to work with the Trump Administration to avoid some of the woke and fiscally irresponsible portions of the Biden Administration plan.
West Virginia is not just participating in BEAD—we are redefining what success looks like. We’re expanding the definition of service to include not only fiber but also fixed wireless and satellite, particularly in our mountainous and remote regions where traditional infrastructure is impractical or cost-prohibitive. This gives us a greater reach, faster timelines, and a smarter investment of taxpayer dollars.
So let me say this unequivocally: the State of West Virginia is moving very quickly to advance broadband deployment. We are leading, innovating, and aligning closely with our federal partners to get the job done right—and get it done now.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected West Virginia.
