State Unveils Interactive Broadband Map

Finding areas in West Virginia with available broadband Internet access is as easy as clicking a mouse these days.

According to a news release sent out by the West Virginia Department of Commerce, the state has unveiled an interactive broadband map, which is available at www.wvbroadbandmap.org.

The map is the culmination of a project developed by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey to paint a comprehensive picture of existing broadband service and identify areas of the state that still do not have it.

"Broadband is important for the economic development of the state and the nation," acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said in the news release. "Many businesses, government agencies and public services like hospitals and educational facilities need broadband to manage daily work tasks, provide expanded services and remain competitive in the global marketplace. With Internet activity becoming a necessity for business and everyday life, broadband access is often sought by those businesses seeking to move to our state. Offering and expanding broadband service requires all interested parties to work together and the West Virginia Broadband Mapping Program supports that effort."

The map was funded through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration State Broadband Data & Development Program, which awarded approximately $1.4 million to West Virginia in 2009 for the statewide broadband mapping and planning effort. An additional $3.3 million grant was awarded in September to continue broadband mapping activities and support the development of long-term, sustainable plans for increasing access to and use of broadband across the state.

West Virginia's grant was one of 56 awarded nationwide by NTIA totaling $190 million to support state efforts to compete in the digital economy. Those grants were designed to help states create ways to assist small businesses and community institutions to use technology more effectively, research and investigate barriers to broadband adoption, encourage innovative applications that increase access to government services and information, and to help state and local task forces expand broadband access and adoption.

The map will provide accurate, up-to-date information of served, underserved and unserved areas of broadband service. It also will show the technology types available to West Virginia citizens.

The goal of the map is to help identify areas for potential future development and encourage the expansion of broadband service.

According to the news release, when users click on an area of the map, they can see which areas have broadband service available and also get links to the service providers in those areas.

The viewer then can contact the service providers to find out rates, services available and possible plans to expand into other areas.

The map also will help local governments and businesses plan where broadband should be if it is not yet available. They then can apply for federal and state grants to extend broad-band in to those areas.

"We see this effort as a major economic development tool," Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette said in the release. "We will continue working with broadband providers and local leaders to expand coverage in areas that have it, and also to supply coverage to areas of the state that continue to be unserved or underserved."

The state Geological and Economic Survey worked in partnership with the Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute, the West Virginia GIS Technical Center, the state's regional planning councils and the Office of GIS Coordination to identify and assess areas with low levels of broadband use. The groups then will develop statewide and local plans to improve broadband adoption and deployment.

According to the news release, the organizations also are providing direct technical assistance to 11 regional broadband planning teams that will be created to do the assessment, as well as to individual municipalities that may, for example, require a cost modeling assessment in order to apply for a grant or loan. The regional planning teams will work with stakeholders to develop a broadband awareness and adoption plan and work to assess opportunities for broadband-based economic development.

Local governments and businesses will be able to use the interactive application to analyze current use of broadband technology to leverage Technical Assistance and Local Broadband Mapping Teams funds from the grant to educate communities on broadband service expansion opportunities. The teams will identify and promote areas for potential future development based on up-to-date broadband coverage information.

"The advancements we make to fully wire our state with high-speed Internet makes a compelling statement to our citizens, educational and health institutions as well as our current and future businesses that West Virginia is the place to live, learn and grow," Tomblin said in the release. "For our state to receive two rounds of funding in support of our broadband efforts to move West Virginia forward speaks volumes. I applaud all of the people who have worked diligently to secure this funding so West Virginia can expand this important infrastructure."