Manchin, Capito Announce $27.9 Million To GigaBeam For Broadband Work

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., both announced Thursday that GigaBeam has been awarded nearly $28 million to further connect West Virginia with high-speed broadband.

Capito and Manchin announced that the company’s bids through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund have been authorized, awarding $27,972,938 to the company to further connect West Virginia with high-speed broadband. This funding is part of the more than $791 million doled out this week by the Federal Communications Commission to fund new broadband deployments to more than 350,000 estimated locations in 19 states. The top three states receiving funding were Illinois at $212 million, Arizona at $140 million and Iowa at $113 million.

"This is fantastic news for West Virginians that lack access to reliable internet access," Capito said. "From the very beginning, I have warned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about RDOF funding being awarded to entities that would not deliver on their promises. GigaBeam is a regional Internet Service Provider that is already working to connect rural areas of West Virginia with critical broadband access. I'm thrilled to see this funding authorized today, and look forward to its contribution in closing the digital divide in the future."

"Access to affordable, reliable broadband is vital to the success and growth of our communities across West Virginia," Manchin said. "We know that at least 258,000 West Virginians have no broadband access and that number is likely much higher, which is why I'm pleased the FCC is supporting GigaBeam's efforts to expand broadband services to over 9,100 locations in West Virginia. I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of this funding for years to come and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to ensure everyone in the Mountain State has broadband access."