Sen. Shelley Moore Capito has been pushing to expand broadband access to rural communities for years. COREY GARDNER'S 'BIG IDEA': KEEP UP WITH CHINA IN THE SPACE RACECapito believes the “digital divide” is what’s keeping West Virginia, now one of the nation’s poorest states, from transforming into the latest tech hub. In 2018, the West Virginia Development Office set aside $3.2 million in ARC funding for the agency’s broadband initiative. Capito in 2018 implored Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to bring rural Americans, particularly in West Virginia, internet connectivity. The social media platform brought its first fiber infrastructure program in North America right to West Virginia.

Source: Fox News October 16, 2020 18:22 UTC