This guest post is from Bill Woodrum, the Senior Program Officer for Community & Economic Development with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
West Virginia’s broadband story has long been defined by its barriers, including mountains that block signals, rural distances that inflate construction costs, and decades of underinvestment that left entire communities disconnected. Yet in 2019, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation (Benedum) chose to see these same challenges as an opportunity for a bold investment strategy.
What followed is a story of local leadership stepping forward, philanthropy leaning in, and communities rewriting what once felt inevitable.
Before COVID‑19 arrived, West Virginia was one of the least‑connected states in the nation. In many communities, families still relied on satellite or even dial‑up service. Students parked outside fast‑food restaurants just to upload homework.
It became obvious during this time that reliable access to high-speed internet would help level the playing field. Without it, people were increasingly shut out of education, healthcare, remote work, and the digital economy.
Benedum had spent several years engaging in the issue of high-speed internet access and had piloted small projects to evaluate what might work. As the Foundation approached its 75th anniversary, its Board made a pivotal decision: invest in a larger, catalytic, multi‑year, community‑driven broadband strategy that would strengthen local capacity and unlock lasting systems change. It was clear that a nonconventional approach was needed if the trajectory of broadband implementation was going to be changed.
Benedum began talking with nonprofit partners about a bottom-up approach which would be led by communities, rather than the traditional top-down efforts that had left the state further behind. Over four years, Benedum committed more than $1 million to help communities partner directly with internet service providers (ISPs) and move projects from idea to implementation.
A key early insight was that communities needed a neutral convener in this role. It had to be an organization trusted by both local leaders and ISPs.
Benedum identified Generation West Virginia, an organization with a mission to attract, retain, and advance young adult talent in the Mountain State, for this role. Supported by consultants familiar with the broadband landscape, Generation West Virginia brought community representatives and ISPs to the same table, brokered partnership agreements, and helped ensure roles and responsibilities were clear from the start.
Regional planning and development councils quickly became another essential partner. Though these councils focused historically on water systems, transportation, and economic development, broadband was rising rapidly on their priority lists.
Eleven councils joined forces to create the Regional Optical Communications (ROC) consortium. This nineteen‑county collaborative committed to coordinated broadband planning. Together, they mapped nearly 15,000 miles of potential fiber routes and produced cost estimates that covered all 55 counties. For the first time, West Virginia had a statewide blueprint ready for federal investment.
Then came a national turning point. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act opened unprecedented broadband funding opportunities, including more than $42 billion for states. Benedum enlisted the assistance of Sustainable Strategies, a D.C.-based firm that has experience in federal broadband programs, to help communities rapidly prepare competitive applications. Because Benedum had invested early in local capacity, West Virginia already had trained partners on the ground ready to act.
The results exceeded expectations. Benedum’s initial investments ultimately helped communities secure more than $51 million in federal broadband funding. Nineteen projects across 27 counties were funded, paving the way for fiber‑based connections that will reach more than 33,000 households.
For families waiting decades for reliable internet, these projects mark the beginning of a long‑overdue transformation.
As a result of these efforts, West Virginia has seen a staggering 245% increase in fiber locations since 2019 — which leads the nation in growth. This remarkable increase isn’t an accident. It’s the result of a coordinated ecosystem of state leadership, federal investment, and philanthropic support.
This initiative demonstrates what philanthropy does best: build capacity, reduce risk, convene partners, and help communities act before major funding opportunities arrive. It also shows what local leadership makes possible when given support, structure, and the right partners.
Challenges remain, including pole disputes, affordability issues, competition gaps, and shortages in digital skills, but the foundation has been laid. Benedum continues to support efforts that strengthen broadband access because this infrastructure is no longer optional. It is essential for economic development, healthcare access, educational opportunity, and creating a future where young people can imagine staying in West Virginia.
West Virginia’s broadband story is still being written. But thanks to local leaders who opted into the hard work of broadband planning and the quiet courage of rural communities, it is no longer a story of impossible barriers but a story of rising possibility.
As we look toward the future, our focus remains clear: we aren’t just building a network; we are building a more resilient, prosperous, and connected West Virginia.
Bill Woodrum is the Senior Program Officer for Community & Economic Development with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. In this role he manages a portfolio of investments into West Virginia that supports resilient rural communities, technology equity & access, entrepreneurship and human capital development.
For more information on the Benedum Foundation’s investments into expanding broadband in West Virginia, you can review the 2025 Annual Report of the Foundation, which highlights this multi-year effort to expand access to fiber-based broadband.
Photo credit: Rebecca Kiger, Photographer