Comcast To Begin Broadband Expansion in Unserved Areas of Ohio, Brooke, Hancock Counties
Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING - Comcast soon will begin efforts to expand broadband service to unserved local areas in Ohio, Brooke and Hancock counties.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said during a virtual press conference Friday with state reporters that he has officially signed West Virginia's Line Extension and Advancement Development (LEAD) program grants, which will provide $7.5 million to Comcast to begin two system buildout projects in the state.
The projects together have an estimated cost of $10 million, according to Justice. Work is expected to start in January and be complete by the end of 2023.
The projects are intended to bring Xfinity residential and Comcast business broadband services to 2,100 customers in unserved areas in Ohio, Brooke and Hancock counties locally, as well as Cabell, Putnam and Morgan counties in the rest of the state.
According to information provided by the governor's office, Comcast will add almost 200 additional route miles of fiber to connect unserved residents to the full suite of Xfinity residential and Comcast Business services, including broadband Internet speeds of up to 1.2 gigabits per second (Gbps) for residences and up to 100 Gbps for businesses.
Funding for the WVBIP's LEAD program is provided through the West Virginia Legislature's allocation of $100 million to create the West Virginia Broadband Development Fund, the information states.
During Friday's press conference, Justice also fielded questions about the possibility of the Saudi Arabian-backed LIV Golf professional tour coming to the Greenbrier Resort - which he owns.
"I can tell you I did meet (LIV CEO and retired professional golfer) Greg Norman way back when, and when he came he checked the golf course out and went around it," Justice said. "We got together and we spent 45 minutes to an hour together."
Norman suggested to Justice that changes be made on the 16th hole, and that these include the relocation of the tee "across Howard's Creek and bring the lake into play."
Justice said he thought it was "a marvelous idea."
"Negotiations have continued with the Greenbrier folks, and truly there is a big announcement coming," he said. "It will be exciting to the state. We may have a big event coming."
But Justice added any official announcement should come from LIV Golf.
"That is their choice, and we should respect their choice," he said. "I'm not at a privilege to announce anything, but when they decide they want to make their announcement we should be respectful of that."
Justice added he did not negotiate any contract between the Greenbrier and LIV Golf, and he has not seen one.
"But I do think we will have a positive announcement soon," he said.
Justice previously announced that West Virginia's COVID emergency will end at the start of 2023. On Friday, he was asked if COVID information reporting from the State Department of Health and Human Resources will continue after this time.
The COVID map and data will remain and be updated after the emergency ends, DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch said.
"Our plan right now is to continue everything we're doing and keep the public appraised of the changes in COVID," he continued.
Crouch pointed to current numbers showing COVID is not over in West Virginia.
Hospitalizations remain high, and Justice on Friday announced an additional 11 COVID-related deaths in West Virginia attributed to COVID. The number of lives lost to COVID in the state is now at 7,638.