Manchin: American Rescue Plans Delivers Another $16 Million To Expand Broadband Access Through West Virginia Schools, Libraries

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

November 10, 2021

Charleston, WV – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced another $16,072,811 from the American Rescue Plan for 13 West Virginia schools, school districts, libraries and other education organizations as part of the third and fourth rounds of the Emergency Connectivity Fund. This funding is distributed through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to help schools and libraries purchase laptops and tablets, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers and broadband connections for students, staff and library visitors. To date, West Virginia has received $33 million for 41 schools, school districts, libraries and other education organizations from the Emergency Connectivity Fund.

“Delivering reliable, affordable broadband access to every holler in West Virginia continues to be one of my top priorities. I successfully fought to include around $48 million to West Virginia through the Emergency Connectivity Fund funded in the American Rescue Plan, which provides short-term solutions to increase broadband access through hotspots. And in my bipartisan infrastructure bill that recently passed Congress, I fought to include around $600 million for West Virginia alone to increase broadband deployment and access across the state. I look forward to seeing the critical impact this funding will bring to the Mountain State, and I will keep fighting to close the digital divide for all West Virginians,” said Senator Manchin.

The Emergency Connectivity Fund was authorized in the American Rescue Plan, which passed the Senate in March, to provide $7.17 billion to expand distance learning and connectivity around the country, including key provisions authored by Senator Manchin which prioritized rural areas and made these funds fully reimbursable to ensure rural states like West Virginia do not have to bear the burden of higher costs. In September, Senator Manchin announced that West Virginia would receive $4,188,368 in the first round of the Emergency Connectivity Fund, and in October, he announced West Virginia would receive $12,760,030 in the second round.

A timeline of Senator Manchin’s efforts to expand broadband can be found here.

Individual awards from the third and fourth rounds of the Emergency Connectivity Fund listed below:

$11,929,009.60 – West Virginia State Department of Education

$6,468,263.34 – Kanawha County School District
$1,812,843.18 – Lincoln County School District
$1,489,567.86 – Wayne County School District
$868,446 – Hancock County School District
$430,832.16 – Summers County School District
$428,397.84 – Pleasants County School District
$297,090 – Tucker County School District
$102,052.08 – Hampshire County School District
$31,517.10 – Pendleton County School District

$2,029,154.80 – Putnam County School District
$1,441,760 – Berkeley County School District
$662,253.46 – Raleigh County Community Action Association
$10,633 – St. Paul School