CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill that would open the door for the state to get involved in the expansion of internet service in West Virginia may be on life support after failing to make it out of the Senate Finance Committee Friday.
The committee didn’t take a vote on the bill Friday morning but members had a lot of questions. The bill would create a 2,600-mile fiber middle-mile network. The $78 million project would be paid for with bonds. WVNET would manage the network.
Frontier Communications consultant Billy Jack Gregg told finance committee members there are already seven middle-mile broadband networks in the state. He said the real issue is getting from there to outlying homes and businesses with high-speed internet.
“Last-mile is the challenge. Last-mile is the most costly and difficult to provide,” Gregg said.
Bill sponsor Senator Chris Walters (R-Putnam) told Gregg no company can build the last-mile until middle-mile reaches those areas. Gregg again said the middle-mile is there.
“There already is middle-mile. As I said, there are at least seven middle-mile networks that already exit,” Gregg said.
Frontier said it has made a $500 million investment in West Virginia in recent years and has experienced a five-time increase in broadband traffic according to Gregg. Gregg said Frontier continues to work on the last-mile aspect.
But there are critics of Frontier who say the company concentrates more in populated areas. Senator Walters said a quick check of a broadband map of West Virginia shows there are many areas lacking coverage. He said the state wouldn’t be going into the internet business with the middle-mile system but increasing the opportunity for its residents to get the service.
Senator Doug Facemire (D-Braxton) expressed concern the state may be getting in over its head.
“If private industry will make a commitment to do what we’re wanting to do and there’s a reasonable amount of time I think we should let them have a shot at it,” Facemire said.
The bill would have to clear the finance committee and full Senate by next Wednesday to have a chance for passage this session.