By Katlin Swisher
Broadband access continues to be a challenge in West Virginia due to the state’s low population density, mountainous topography and limited long-haul fiber, or fiber that spans extensive geographical distances. Currently ranked 44th in the nation by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in terms of the percentage of population with access to broadband, only 82 percent of West Virginia residents have broadband connectivity.
In 2017, the West Virginia Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 3093, which gave communities, consumers and internet providers the tools needed to support innovative ways of increasing high-speed internet access across the state. While internet providers had not found it profitable to deploy state-of-the-art broadband services in West Virginia in the past, HB 3093 provided solutions to this problem by making loan insurance available for commercial loans used to expand high-speed internet services and allowing providers access to the capital they needed. The bill also expanded the role of the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council in broadband deployment. With these barriers removed and new tools in place—like the Interactive Broadband Mapping System, West Virginia Internet Speed Test Portal and Broadband Infrastructure Loan Insurance Program—the Mountain State is making strides in connectivity.
Interactive Broadband Mapping System
Through partnerships with the West Virginia Department of Commerce, West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, West Virginia Office of GIS Coordination and West Virginia Office of Technology, the broadband council has created the state’s first interactive broadband mapping system.
“The first thing we started working on as a council was the mapping of broadband,” says Robert Hinton, executive director of the Upshur County Development Authority and chair of the broadband council. “That has happened previously in the history of West Virginia, but it had been dormant for several years. We had to figure out how much broadband has changed in the state and where we have infrastructure.”
The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, with leadership from West Virginia State GIS Coordinator Tony Simental, conducted the mapping using data from the FCC. According to Hinton, the maps are central to a comprehensive approach to broadband development.
“These systems will generate the information needed to strategically address the digital divide in West Virginia,” he says. “Essentially, the state must accurately assess its current broadband services, assets and opportunities to develop a comprehensive improvement plan.”
West Virginia Internet Speed Test Portal
The council launched the West Virginia Internet Speed Test Portal to assist in the accurate identification of the presence and level of broadband internet service delivered to users as well as the associated infrastructure necessary to support broadband development.
The speed test includes an online survey to capture information about internet and broadband service, including internet speed, subscription level and customer satisfaction. The test also includes a GPS location for more detailed and accurate data.
Individual users can take the speed test at wvbroadband.org. To date, more than 27,000 speed tests have been collected, and speed tests have been conducted in each of West Virginia’s 55 counties.
“Once we were able to get access to the state test data so we could see what people were experiencing in the state and get our contract list from a company called Fiber Locator so we could identify where fiber is in the state, we were able to get a baseline and start moving forward in terms of where the most unserved areas are and the areas that are doing well,” says Hinton. “We always want to identify the problems, but we also want to see that there are places that do have good connectivity in West Virginia. It’s not all bad.”
The FCC presents data from Form 477 in U.S. Census blocks, equivalent to a neighborhood block in an urban area. As a result, if there is one customer served in a census block, the entire block will be reported as having broadband. While the FCC’s Form 477 data is the official record of broadband availability and speeds, the speed test portal can provide alternate data for comparison and validation if discrepancies occur.
“The test portal enables the council to identify communities with connectivity that do not support the needs of residents and businesses,” says Hinton. “The council can then assist those communities in moving forward to pursue the benefits of broadband connectivity.”
Broadband Infrastructure Loan Insurance Program
The council partnered with the West Virginia Economic Development Authority (WVEDA) to create the Broadband Infrastructure Loan Insurance Program in 2017. The goal of the program is to expand and extend broadband service throughout the state by eliminating some of the financial barriers and risks for internet service providers.
“One of the biggest hurdles to a small- or medium-sized internet service provider is access to capital,” says Hinton. “Traditionally, banks have had trouble figuring out how to fund and provide loan money to a fiber project or a wireless project. The reason behind that is the high level of risk associated with loans. The first thing banks do is look at defaults and what they would do with the assets. They really are in a quandary with what they would do with, for example, 40 miles of fiber along the road.”
The WVEDA is authorized to consider financial assistance through loan insurance for capital costs relating to eligible broadband service projects and building telecommunications network segments.
“Service providers can work with a bank, and then the state can come in and provide loan insurance or a guarantee that will be 80 or 90 percent of that loan and mitigate the bank’s risk tremendously,” says Hinton. “The state’s risk is mitigated as well. It’s a really good package deal for broadband expansion.”
The first project from the program is taking place in Preston County. Digital Connections, a competitive local exchange carrier based out of Hazelton and Morgantown, has been approved to move forward with a fiber-to-the-home infrastructure build called PRODIGI in Bruceton Mills. Digital Connections provides telecom services in West Virginia, Maryland and Ohio.
“The loan insurance program has been very beneficial,” says Tim Wotring, vice president and co-owner of Digital Connections. “Working with my community bank, Clear Mountain Bank, we were able to secure the loan insurance on funding that enabled us to continue building fiber in our rural communities. As a result, we are actively expanding our fiber network into Terra Alta, Alpine Lake Resort and additional builds in the Bruceton Mills community.”
Broadband Development Training
Another challenge to increasing broadband access across the state is educating the public about the technical aspects of broadband.
“There are a lot of folks in the state who know broadband is a problem because they do not have connectivity in their communities,” says Hinton. “However, there is a disconnect with determining our first step and how we even go about trying to solve this problem.”
Members of the council regularly conduct broadband development training for local government leaders, planners and project managers. So far, these trainings have generated nine planning projects and three infrastructure projects.
In particular, the council is focused on establishing public-private partnerships between municipalities or counties and internet service providers. “We’re advocates of governments going out and finding resources in capital, putting in the infrastructure, partnering with the provider and letting them do what they do best, which is provide service,” says Hinton. “That creates a great business opportunity and incentivizes the private sector to mitigate its up-front capital costs, which is a big issue in going into these smaller areas. We can reduce their capital costs but still maintain some control and create a really good partnership moving forward.”
Focused on the Future
The challenge of addressing West Virginia’s broadband access problem has been a difficult one as no two areas in the state have the same obstacles. The effort in finding a fix has required the input of businesses, lawmakers, service providers and a variety of organization leaders. Progress is being made, however, and those involved are committed to ensuring that all West Virginians, no matter their location, have high-speed internet access.
“We have a state that has a lot of diversity in its challenges,” says Hinton. “It is not an easy task, but hopefully with what we’re doing, we’ll be able to find solutions for each area that has unique characteristics.”
