Preliminary Approval Announcement

Major Broadband Project Strategies

The West Virginia Department of Economic Development has preliminarily selected five applicants to receive an award pursuant to a request for grant funding under the Major Broadband Project Strategies. A list of locations is published under Grant Program Information and attached below.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may submit data demonstrating that the ISP currently offers
broadband service at 25/3 Mbps or greater to addresses within the Proposed Project Funded Service Area identified by the Eligible Service Areas in the Preliminary Approval Announcement documentation. Data submitted must meet all the requirements described in the Process for Soliciting Information Regarding Unserved Areas, which the Department published on July 12, 2021. Notwithstanding the response deadline stated in the Process for Soliciting Information Regarding Unserved Areas, ISPs providing data must submit to the Department data related to projects receiving Preliminary Approval Announcement not later than August 3, 2022, at 5PM EST. Based on submitted data, the Department may request that a preliminary awardee submit a revised project removing parts that solely benefit some or all addresses identified as served, the Department may withdraw the preliminary approval, or the Department may allow the preliminary award to proceed without changes. In making its determination, the Department will also consider other data and factors more fully described in the Major Broadband Project Strategies Program Procedures, in the section, “Post-Award Notification Process.”

The window for data submissions is now closed.