CHARLESTON, W.VA — Today, the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, Office of Broadband (WVDED) is publishing a set of Application Extension Program Procedures for the BEAD Program. WVDED will extend the application window of the West Virginia BEAD Program for a subset of the Program’s Target Areas following the Full Application deadline.

West Virginia launched its Full Application phase on August 26, 2024. The Full Application portal will be open for 60 days. Following the Full Application deadline, WVDED will post Target Areas eligible for the Extension and provide applicants the opportunity to propose additional projects.

Upcoming Webinars

WVDED continues to host application webinars to review requirements and support applicants. Registration information will be available online and through email notification.

On October 9, 2024, beginning at 9:30 am, WVDED will conduct an Extension Webinar on the upcoming Extension. While the Application Extension Program Procedures for the BEAD Program are very similar to the West Virginia BEAD Program Procedures, there are some differences, and the webinar will focus on helping potential applicants understand the differences.

Program Background

The WVDED is tasked with deploying local and federal broadband funds, including $1.2 billion in federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (“BEAD”) funding for broadband deployment in West Virginia. BEAD is administered by the National Telecommunication and Information Administration (“NTIA”). This historic investment in broadband infrastructure and related digital inclusion efforts will support West Virginia’s universal broadband access vision.

During the Extension, additional funding will be available to support broadband deployment in West Virginia through the Appalachian Regional Commission (“ARC”) and the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Capital Projects Fund (“CPF”) and State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“SLFRF”).

Updated Materials

The Application Extension Program Procedures follow the organization of the BEAD Deployment Program Procedures to outline adjustments to the Program in the Extension period and relevant changes for applicants who seek ARC/CPF/SLFRF funding in addition to BEAD.

The most recent BEAD Program FAQ update includes questions and answers related to the Extension. Additional guidance will be provided following the Full Application deadline. Please visit broadband.wv.gov for program updates and other information. Thank you for your interest in West Virginia’s BEAD Program.