Photo provided Pictured is a map from CityNet that shows where high-speed broadband is planned for Marshall and Wetzel counties. The purple lines are the main through-ways where broadband will be installed. The purple lines with green outlines show the neighborhoods that will benefit.

Marshall and Wetzel county governments announced Wednesday they are contributing more than $1.7 million to a project that will provide high-speed broadband to communities in both counties in serious need of it.

Both counties said they will put $1,725,000 in matching funds toward the project, which is part of the Line Extension Advancement and Development program of the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan. Marshall County will contribute $725,000, while Wetzel County will contribute $1 million.

Citynet, which will help build the broadband connections, was awarded $7,488,000 in LEAD funds. With the counties’ contributions, the total cost of the project is $9,213,000. The project will deliver 211 miles of fiber to 1,357 targeted addresses between the two counties.

Marshall County Administrator Betsy Wilson Frohnapfel said that broadband expansion has been on the county’s radar for a long time, and it is happy it now has the opportunity fo follow through.

“It’s always been a focus of the commission, but since COVID, it has been an even bigger focus,” Frohnapfel said. “We have worked with different partners to apply for grants. The cost has been so astronomical that, in my opinion, this isn’t something the county can take on without partners in grant funding.”

Citynet President and CEO Jim Martin said the investment will make a major impact on the lives of those living in rural Marshall and Wetzel counties, who have not enjoyed fast, reliable internet connections.

“This investment will dramatically enhance the quality of life for residents in these counties,” Martin said, “providing them with the reliable and high-speed internet service that is essential in today’s digital world.”

The project will put broadband speed internet in areas like Fish Creek, Cameron and Glen Easton in Marshall County and Proctor, New Martinsville, Knob Fork and Hundred in Wetzel County. The presidents of each county’s commission said this will be a gamechanger for their respective communities.

“The collaboration between our counties and Citynet exemplifies our shared vision for a better-connected future,” Marshall County Commission President Mike Ferro said, “and we are proud to support this significant development.”

“Our commitment to this project underscores our dedication to improving the infrastructure that is vital for the economic growth and connectivity of our area,” Wetzel County Commission President Lisa Heasley said.

The LEAD program aims to enhance broadband connectivity in underserved and rural areas The West Virginia Department of Economic Development’s Office of Broadband will administer the funds.