CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission is coming to West Virginia.
On Tuesday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will visit some of the most rural parts of the Mountain State — including Thomas, Mount Storm, Moorefield and Wardensville — with U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to talk with stakeholders in communication technology sector.
“People in West Virginia, wherever they live, ought to have an opportunity. They ought to have an opportunity to be able to make a living and they can’t do it unless they’re connected,” Manchin said during an appearance on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”
Manchin has long called for more investments in broadband in West Virginia.
“We’re going to show him why we need this build out of rural America, rural West Virginia,” Manchin said.
“On top of that, he’s going to be able to see, in that type of an area where we have a lot of people that have bought second homes and come there and a tourism area, it can really be developed if people know they’re connected.”
Wheeler’s scheduled Tuesday stops in West Virginia are as follows:
– Tip Top Coffee Shop, Thomas, Tucker County
Manchin and Wheeler will lead a discussion with community leaders, small businesses, agencies and broadband providers on the importance of increasing access in West Virginia.
– Union Educational Complex, Mount Storm, Grant County
Manchin and Wheeler will discuss the E-rate program, which makes telecommunications and information services more affordable for schools and libraries in America.
– Moorefield Readiness Center, Moorefield, Hardy County
Manchin and Wheeler will tour the facility and discuss initiatives to increase broadband and cellular service to help keep residents safe.
– Wardensville Garden Market, Wardensville, Hardy County
Manchin and Wheeler will talk about rural innovation, entrepreneurship and how increased connectivity can help grow businesses and communities, along with telecommuting in the Washington, D.C. area.
“People in West Virginia need the ability to be able to earn a living, wherever they live in our state,” Manchin said. “People that come here, I want to make sure have an opportunity to stay a little bit longer or maybe make it a permanent home.”
Wheeler, one of President Barack Obama’s appointees, became the 31st FCC chairman on Nov. 4, 2013.
Prior to joining the FCC, Wheeler was managing director at Core Capital Partners, a venture capital firm investing in early stage Internet Protocol, IP-based companies.
He also previously served as president and CEO of Shiloh Group, a strategy development and private investment company specializing in telecommunications services and co-founded SmartBrief, an electronic information service, according to his FCC bio.
Last week, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosted FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at Preston Memorial Hospital and West Virginia University to draw attention to West Virginia’s broadband challenges and the importance of telehealth in rural states.