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October 23, 2009
ROCKEFELLER ANNOUNCES BROADBAND MAPPING AWARD FOR WEST VIRGINIA
NTIA awards $1.4 million to the West Virginia Department of Commerce
Washington, D.C.—Senator Jay Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, today announced a $1.4 million award to the West Virginia Department of Commerce Geological and Economic Survey for broadband mapping.
“Widespread broadband access can help small businesses grow, create jobs, help our students learn, and improve access to health care,” said Senator Rockefeller. “But for these good things to be ours, we first need to identify where broadband is and is not in every community throughout the State. This is where broadband mapping comes in. It provides us with the raw data we need to improve our high-speed internet infrastructure in West Virginia, help create new high-tech jobs, and jumpstart economic growth. That is why I worked so hard to make sure that broadband funding, including broadband mapping, was part the economic stimulus bill—and I am proud to see this award coming to West Virginia as part of this initiative.”
Background:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act set up a grant program called the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, which is run by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce. As part of this program, the NTIA oversees grants for broadband mapping initiatives in each state. These initiatives will help develop high quality data regarding where broadband is and is not deployed in each community in every state.
With Senator Rockefeller’s support, the NTIA is awarding a $1.4 million grant to West Virginia Department of Commerce’s Geological and Economic Survey to perform broadband mapping activities in West Virginia. West Virginia had applied for roughly $1.4 million in broadband mapping funding, so this reward reflects confidence in the State’s proposed broadband mapping plans.
Senator Rockefeller developed a $4.7 billion program at the NTIA by working with President Obama and Senate appropriators, to improve broadband deployment - to deploy infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, expand public computer center capacity, and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service. The Recovery Act provided a total of $7.2 billion for broadband expansion – $4.7 billion to the Commerce Department’s NTIA; and $2.5 billion to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to invest in broadband deployment.
This broadband mapping grant is a step toward addressing the country’s broadband needs. The Recovery Act also directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop a national broadband plan by February 2010.
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