West Virginia Implements Statewide Fiber Optic Broadband Network
An ambitious project to create a statewide fiber optic broadband network in West Virginia is underway.
The project will be paid for with $126 million from the Broadband Technologies Opportunities Program (BTOP). BTOP grants are funded by last year's economic stimulus legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
The statewide fiber broadband network will connect critical anchor institutions, including hospitals, public schools, libraries and fire and police departments across the state.
According to West Virginia Commerce Secretary Kelly Goes, the first county will be completely wired within a few weeks. The first county, which remains unidentified, will serve as a testing ground for the full implementation of the network. After the system is enabled in that first county, the process will be replicated in every county, statewide.
To read CWA's fact sheet on the benefits of connecting rural communities to high speed Internet, click here.
West Virginia to Build State Wide Fiber Network (BroadbandBreakfast.com)
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