State receives $1.4M grant to map broadband access - News - The Charleston Gazette

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October 23, 2009

State receives $1.4M grant to map broadband access

By The Associated Press

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ELLENBORO, W.Va. -- West Virginia is getting $1.4 million to map broadband access across the state.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced the two-year grant during a visit to the state Friday.

The agency says the grant will help increase broadband access and help consumers with better information about services they can use.

Locke says the increasing high-speed Internet access can help create good jobs in the state.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller has been pushing broadband access as a way to improve everything from health care to the economy in West Virginia.

State officials estimate 77 percent to 80 percent of the state has broadband access, ranking West Virginia in the bottom five of the United States.

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2 Comments on "State receives $1.4M grant to map broadband access"
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Posted By: Damion (8:39am 10-24-2009)

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I would like to see the map which shows 80% of West Virginia has broadband access. I know that we don't have it 100% and were told by Verizon it would be years before we do.

Posted By: Net nuetral (11:44pm 10-23-2009)

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This grant will be very useful if the state does not rollover for Verizon. Verizon was behind the last Broadband map, they were the principal financier of the Connect WV foundation. The map they produced was biased to only include areas that were served by Verizon DSL, or were DSL capable. Capable being the key word Verizon used this map to fool the public into believing the ares would soon have DSL. When other providers submitted their service territories they misrepresented their capabilities as well. The map also ignored independent local providers especially in areas where they were in direct competition with Verizon. My message to Joe Manchin and Kelly Goes is to please not give in to pressure by any incumbent provider and publish a true and accurate map devoid of self interests and so called proprietary information, a map produced without these goals will be useless. [

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