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Broadband bill prompts varied responses

ELKINS — Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill earlier this week that has some West Virginians thinking positively about economic growth but has other residents concerned.

House Bill 3093 — also known as the broadband bill — is intended to establish broadband enhancement and expansion policies, according to a legislative note about the bill.

Delegate Phil Isner, D-Randolph, believes the passage of this bill will be beneficial to both Randolph and Pocahontas counties.

“There are areas here in Randolph and Pocahontas counties where there is extremely slow, or sometimes even no internet service at all. We cannot be competitive on a statewide or nationwide basis unless we have the ability for these companies to access high speed internet so they can bring their products to market,” Isner said.

As stated in the note, “The bill moves the existing Broadband Enhancement Council into a new chapter, and sets forth additional duties and responsibilities for the council.

The bill additionally authorizes the establishment of cooperative associations for the purpose of obtaining internet services… Finally, it makes it an unfair and deceptive practice for an internet service provider to advertise or contract for ‘up to’ speeds.”

“High speed service is crucial to the economic growth of the area,” Isner said. “This is going to give rural counties and communities the ability to form co-ops and band together to put themselves in a position to have higher speed service.”

According to the note, the bill also “establishes new policies and protocols for microtrenching and make-ready pole access,” which raises concerns for some.

Elain Harris, a District 213 staff representative for Communications Workers of America International, said, “The issues we had with the bill was the pole attachments.”

Harris noted similar concerns were also raised by power company representatives and union members.

“The (Federal Communications Commission) has certain standards for that which we believe conform with and support what we say from our concern for attachments and safety issues,” Harris said.

She added safety concerns are not only specific to workers but also to citizens.

“We have highly skilled and trained people that do this kind of work — when I say we, it could also be power or cable,” Harris said.

Harris stressed CWA does support the expansion of broadband, especially with effort to reaching consumers who have previously not had access to the service.

“We’re all for the expansion of broadband. We want high speed and we want things to be good because that’s what we live by anymore,” Harris said. “At the end of the day, the most important thing is getting to those who are unserved.”

Frontier Communications officials have also expressed great concern in reference to providing additional options for consumers who already have access to broadband before providing the same service to those who do not yet have any access at all.

According to the text of the legislative note, the primary goal of the bill is to provide access to Internet across the entire state by 2020 through the expansion and general availability of broadband.

“I’m confident that the Broadband Enhancement Council and providers will be able to work together to improve service overall. It’s going to take an all-around approach and all people willing to help improve the service that we have in West Virginia,” said Robbie Morris, vice chairperson of the Broadband Enhancement Council. “I’m confident that all providers have expressed, at least to me, their excitement, willingness and desire to work with the council and improve things.”

Isner added that in order to develop manufacturing jobs that Justice has spotlighted — including wood technology and furniture building — both physical infrastructure and technological infrastructure need to be available.

“There are a lot of road projects that are being discussed, but we also have to improve our technological infrastructure. We certainly have to make sure that products can get to market over the roads, but we also have to make sure that businesses have the ability to develop a website to sell online, to communicate with other businesses and to place orders,” Isner said.

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