February 13, 2023 by Jessica Koch

Do Not Miss the West Virginia LEAD Round 2 Program

The West Virginia Department of Economic Development will open the second round of the Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) Program on February 17, 2023. The application deadline is March 22, 2023, at 11:59pm EST. The Department will be conducting a LEAD Round 2 webinar for interested parties on February 17, 2023, in addition the Department will also publish an updated map of the targeted addresses that will be eligible for the LEAD Round 2 program. This Department has allocated approximately $30 million to the LEAD Round 2 grant program. 

The Line Extension Advancement and Development (LEAD) Program is part of the West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan (WVBIP) and will fund extensions of existing last-mile cable modem and fiber-to-the-premise broadband networks that can be constructed quickly. 

For the purposes of this Program, “Targeted addresses” are those with no current access to internet service with at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload (25/3 Mbps), and not in an area with an existing state, federal, or locally funded project to deliver mass-market broadband service of at least 25/3 Mbps.

More information is available at the following:West Virginia Broadband Investment Plan - WV Broadband : WV Broadband 

Need help identifying funding in your area? Book your Calix complementary funding workshop today and do not miss our interactive state-level broadband funding map to track funding moving forward.