CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Two West Virginia lawmakers that have led the push for expanded broadband detailed plans during a recent national panel.
State Senator Bob Plymale (D-Wayne) and Delegate Daniel Linville (R-Cabell) spoke during a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers hosted by the Pew Charitable Trusts that focused on how states are expanding broadband access. The panel also suggested what states want federal lawmakers to know as they consider federal broadband legislation.
Plymale told the panel of five people that the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that current broadband standards are simply are not holding up.
“When you have three or four people in a household accessing it and students accessing it for schooling…We found out that we were so woefully underserved that I can’t find an area in West Virginia that is properly served,” he said.
In June, Economic Development Secretary Mitch Carmichael told lawmakers West Virginia should start experiencing improvements to broadband capacity in short order, starting with grants rolling out this summer to expand existing fiber and cable networks.
State government has received $667 million from the American Rescue Plan, a portion of which may be allocated to broadband. And state government has received $138 million beyond that, specifically for broadband investment.
Plymale said the focus is on those who do not currently have service and making it affordable.
“That has got to be a priority here. We are going into rural areas and areas where people do not have the incomes to be able to afford what is available in some cases to the monopolies,” he said.
Linville spoke on monopolies and said the state and the federal government must create more policies and proposals that result in competition among companies. He also suggested to federal lawmakers to put consumer protections in broadband bills, citing his constituents not being offered bill credits after losing service for a month due to ice storms, but still being charged.
“Americans and West Virginians certainly like to be able to choose who we do business with for any number of reasons. Without that competition, without regulation mandating it, there is essentially no incentive to continually reinvest in your networks,” he said.
Linville said this year’s legislation under the state Capitol dome was to take every regulatory roadblock and get it out of the way.
Linville was the main sponsor of House Bill 2002, which passed with flying colors and has a variety of functions aimed at improving internet service.
“People want broadband now. Not three years from now, not five years from now, not ten years from now. They want it now,” he said.
Plymale previously stated that he is unsure whether the $138 million may be lower than what is necessary to really make a splash. He said the state has one shot at this and cannot underbuild the projects.
Other panelists included State Representative Louis Riggs (R-MO), Teresa Ferguson, director of federal broadband engagement, Colorado Broadband Office and Dr. Tamarah Holmes, director of the office of broadband, Commonwealth of Virginia.
The host agreed that Linville and Plymale established their priorities as getting clarity and rule-making from federal leaders, leveraging regional planning opportunities, improving speed and quality and service for local regions, and focusing on accountability and regulation that the state is able.