We are approaching a critical crossroads in Congress on how broadband services will be protected for Internet users for the next generation.  We in West Virginia are all too familiar with the “digital divide” – the big gulf between urban and rural areas and the quality and availability of Internet services available between the two.  I have a short survey I can email or mail you about your current broadband service and how you use it.  Hearing from you helps me pinpoint needs and opportunities in our area to serve you and strengthens my voice in the Congress as legislation advances that affects West Virginians.  Please feel free to contact me to request a survey/e-newsletter at RahallBroadbandEnews@gmail.com or by calling my office at (304) 252-5000.

Today’s broadband debate is centered on the concept of net neutrality. Without question, I support the principles of net neutrality, namely, that all Internet traffic should be treated equally regardless of how much one person uses it.  Companies should not slow internet traffic for most of us so they can reap a greater profit to speed service for those who can afford to pay for faster service.

Four key Congressional Committee Chairmen have agreed to begin crafting legislation to address the issue of maintaining a free Internet, and figure out how to regulate the companies providing broadband and other Internet services throughout the country. At the same time, I am leery of any executive agency undertaking such a major issue on its own by creating a new set of regulations based on outdated and limited authority granted by Congress to regulate telephone companies.

I support a well thought out process developed in the halls of Congress, in the public eye, with reasoned input from all parties concerned – especially West Virginians. I am afraid that rash action by the Federal Communications Commission will stifle competition and hurt investment in rural America. We are still building our networks and we desperately need as much private investment as possible to match the massive public investment we have attracted in the last year. I will keep a close eye on these developments and want your input as we undertake this important task.

Although we are making great strides, many of the development challenges we face in our state – a lack of available land to affordably develop and increased transportation costs, are significantly erased by the advantages and opportunities broadband technology presents.   The Internet “villages” we are creating today allow us to maintain a quality and tradition of life we hold so dear, while we advance and progress economically at the same time.  The dynamics of e-commerce continue to evolve and strengthen.  That means ideal places to live, raise a family and enjoy the many benefits of a beautiful safe environment not only become more marketable, they must carefully plan for inevitable growth to maintain that delicate balance.  In southern West Virginia, we are ready to take on that opportunity.

Everyone – from government resources at the federal, state and local levels, to private and non-profit sector resources, to education resources, and teachers and classrooms, must continue to partner to harness the power e-commerce can bring communities.  In order to fully benefit, we must ensure access to broadband is fully deployed. I remain 100% committed to getting better broadband connectivity and improved access throughout West Virginia. Today, the Recovery Act, which I strongly supported, is investing $126 million in funding broadband accessibility here. 

Future Generations Graduate School in Franklin, W.Va., also funded by the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has taken the lead in southern West Virginia to make broadband access more widely available in our communities. This year 30 fire departments across West Virginia will open computer labs for public use. These centers – each equipped with 10 computers with high-speed broadband connections to the Internet, will offer a range of training programs. A local computer mentor, selected by each fire department, will provide training in basic computer and Internet skills. Other classes will cover topics such as e-commerce, chronic disease self-management with an online support group, disaster preparedness, Google Earth online mapping, and career readiness.

This community based project aims to promote the benefits of broadband and make computers and the Internet more accessible. Over three-years, 60 public computer labs will be set up in the community centers of local fire departments. In addition, a computer repair center will be established to make available low-cost refurbished computers through the website, www.futurewv.org.

In southern West Virginia, 19 fire departments have enthusiastically agreed to open their doors to community members who wish to take advantage of high-speed Internet and learn more about computers. Volunteers have been preparing the rooms for the computer labs, in some cases laying new carpet and installing more electrical outlets; 330 computers and 30 printers have been purchased for the 30 first-year labs; and, the majority of centers are set to be open to the public by mid-September.

Training for the selected computer mentors will begin in late August.  This month in the project’s service areas, Future Generations is also conducting household door-to-door surveys on broadband and computer access.

The new computer mentor at Boone County’s Wharton-Barrett Volunteer Fire Department is 17-year old Aaron Dickerson, who is a third generation fire fighter.  When he joined the squad in 2008, Aaron had no idea that in 2010 he would be responsible for a community computer lab.

Aaron explained that, “When I got the phone call for the computer lab, my squad told me I could coordinate it, so I’ve been doing all the paperwork, taking all the phone calls, and had times where I’ve stayed here all night doing research and paperwork, trying to gather up people and advertise.” Aaron has even had desks customized for the lab and used the new resource to recruit five students from his school to join the fire department.

As I mentioned earlier, the Recovery Act invested an additional $126 million in the West Virginia Statewide Broadband Infrastructure Project to create the “middle mile” to ensure greater connectivity for all of us. The Project is working to bring high-speed Internet access to more than 1,000 key institutions throughout the region and add about 2,400 miles of fiber optic cable. As a result, every K–12 grade school in West Virginia will have a high-speed Internet connection, which will greatly improve students’ ability for research and learning opportunities.

 One of most important implications of this critical investment in broadband is to allow local Internet service providers to connect to the project’s open network, thus increasing the availability of accessible broadband service which could impact more than 700,000 households, 110,000 businesses, and 1,500 essential community organizations and government entities.

As we move forward to bring our state up-to-speed on broadband connectivity and accessibility we need to ensure that we fully take into account the financial burden these technologies can place on families. Many West Virginians would like to develop computer skills or have regular access to broadband, but simply can’t afford it. This crucial technology, simply put, must be available to all our citizens as we continue to become a more high tech world. That is why programs that place public computer centers in accessible locations, while we simultaneously work on the overall availability and accessibility of broadband in our state, are so important to fully connecting West Virginia businesses, families and entire communities to the world.

If you would like to volunteer your time and talents and resources to this effort, we welcome you.  Please drop me an email.  I look forward to hearing from you, and working with you as we move ahead. Sign-up to receive e-newsletters and surveys so you can share your thoughts with me on issues that are important to you on my website at http://www.rahall.house.gov.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia’s 3rd District