[ infrastructure ]
Broadband
At a Glance
Broadband access and connectivity
are major concerns for individuals and
small businesses alike in West Virginia.
Although this topic has gained a lot of
traction within the state Legislature over
the last few years, a plan for progress
has yet to be finalized. While the Federal
Communications Commission’s (FCC)
2016 Broadband Progress Report states
that the number of West Virginians with
access to the minimum connection speed
of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and
download speed of 3 Mbps increased
from 44 percent to 70 percent between
2013-2014, there is still much progress
to be made. These infographics offer a
glimpse into the obstacles and improvements being made to connectivity in the
Mountain State.
There are more than
500,000 telephone/
power poles in West Virginia. Stretched end to end,
they would cover more than 3,700 miles.
Samantha Cart
By comparison, the distance between Seattle and Miami is about 3,400 miles.
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west virginia executive