ROC 2023 Statewide Broadband Study Report

Regional Optical Communications — a 19-county

non-profit consortium dedicated to improving

broadband access in West Virginia — took on the

task of coordinating a statewide study aimed

at identifying the current status of and future

need for broadband service in West Virginia.

The project, managed by engineering firm The

Thrasher Group, took a county-by-county look

at the addresses in the state that were classified

as unserved or underserved broadband locations.

This data was used to create preliminary routes

along existing utility poles to identify how to bring

fiber to those addresses in the future. These routes

— and associated cost estimates — were developed

to provide a roadmap for regional planning

and development councils (RPDCs), counties,

municipalities, and local internet service providers

(ISPs) to develop projects that could be further

designed and constructed. A compilation of this

information was provided to each of West Virginia’s

55 counties.

The overarching goal of the study was to bring

communities closer to closing the state’s digital

divide. With unprecedented amounts of funding

available at both the federal and state levels, having

shovel-ready projects is immensely important —

those closer to being ready for construction are

far more likely to be funded than projects still

in their infancy. The data collected in this study

provides a strong baseline for RPDCs, counties,

and ISPs to show funding agencies the measurable

outcomes their projects will have. This can increase

the likelihood of receiving the requested funding

and gives a much shorter timeframe for finalizing

route designs and moving projects to construction.