West Virginia Reworking BEAD Proposal Amid Trump-Driven Program Overhaul

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2025 – West Virginia appears to be recalibrating its broadband deployment strategy under the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to align with the Trump administration’s new direction for the initiative.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) announced Friday that the state received a 90-day extension from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to submit its final BEAD proposal, following a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick earlier in the week. 

In a press release, Morrisey said the state will use the additional time to finalize its proposal “in a manner consistent with the program changes being proposed by the Trump Administration,” adding that “doing so will best position West Virginia to submit a final proposal that successfully addresses the program’s new focus.”