Rural Internet In West Virginia

Internet service coming to estimated 10,000 rural West Virginia homes, businesses with broadband expansion

Metro News | September 10, 2026

Gov. Patrick Morrisey joined U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty, state broadband officials, and more for an announcement Thursday in Hamlin that expansion is coming to high-speed fiber broadband access across the Mountain State. The funding included $100 million in public and private investment.

Armstrong, a company already working on broadband expansion projects, will be installing hundreds of miles of fiber infrastructure to better connect communities. The work is supported by the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, the state’s Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) program, and the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Enhanced Alternative Connect America Cost Model (E-ACAM) program.

Armstrong President Jeff Ross reported at Thursday’s announcement that the company has “substantially completed” its LEAD projects already. The FCC’s E-ACAM projects are in progress, and they’ll be breaking ground on BEAD work soon. He said the work is significant, and the payoff will be well worth it.

“Combined, Armstrong is constructing more than 500 miles of fiber across 10 counties in West Virginia to reach 5,000 West Virginia homes and small businesses that currently lack access to high-speed internet,” Ross said.

Morrisey said this addresses a major need in West Virginia, with an estimated 10,000 homes and small businesses benefitting when it’s all said and done.

“We’re talking about more than 500 miles of fiber, think about that,” Morrisey said.

“More than 500 miles of fiber. That’s going to bring broadband access to over 5,000 unserved areas. That’s incredible. It’s also going to support reliable service for all the businesses that badly need connectivity.”

The governor said it’s not easy to connect all of the Mountain State to the internet, this initiative will aim to do just that.

“When you talk about rural West Virginia, it’s really hard to get these connections in gear,” Morrisey said. “We are, through hill and hollow, and mountainous terrain, it’s some pretty tough stuff. We have long distances between a lot of our homes, and there are real challenges in terms of running fiber that don’t exist in other places.”

There are many benefits of connectivity, Morrisey said, including a boost to West Virginia’s youth at home. He said better internet will support education efforts.

“When you’re talking about broadband, though, think about the opportunities for kids to learn even more,” Morrisey said. “When you connect 5,000 unserved areas, those are so many new families that are going to get educational opportunities that they’ve never had before.”

Capito noted that West Virginia needs connectivity, especially in emergency response. She’s been a staunch supporter of West Virginia broadband expansion through her Capito Connect initiative.

“This is absolutely critical, we know we’re prone to floods,” Capito said. “Every place is. We have to get that information out, whether it’s through broadband, through your phone; we know there’s spotty phone service, that’s another thing we’re trying to work on.”

From an FCC perspective, Trusty said, it’s great to see companies like Armstrong invest in the communities.

“Because broadband is so essential to our economy and to our society, policy makers and providers have a shared responsibility to ensure that these services remain accessible, reliable, and secure for all Americans,” Trusty said.

The Lincoln County announcement follows Wednesday’s state Broadband Enhancement Council meeting, which included good news about installation. AEP Managing Director of Broadband Scott Osterholt said Appalachian Power’s expansion of broadband in Logan and Mingo counties is nearing completion status. He said nearly 5,000 potential customers in Logan County and 1,500 potential customers in Mingo County are ready for activation.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Hartley, who is the Broadband Division Lead/Project Manager for the Thrasher Group, which is the council’s engineering partner, reported 22,592 of 42,496 have been served. He said there are currently 45 active projects with most expected to be completed over the next few months.

As for Armstrong’s work, West Virginia Economic Development Director of Broadband Kelly Workman said it’s the right company for the job. She said their commitment to communities is strong.

“One of the first things I learned about Armstrong is that this company is the largest cable and internet company with a corporate headquarters in Appalachia,” Workman said. “This is a distinction that this company carries with pride.”

Each home connected to the internet is a win, Workman said.

“Those locations are more than dots on a map,” Workman said. “Each location represents the West Virginians who occupy that home, that business, or that community facility. We believe that Armstrong approaches its work with the same commitment.”