West Virginia internet, where fiber replaced copper and satellite fills the hollows
Fiber is available at 47.0% of the 897,543 homes and businesses the FCC counts in West Virginia, and wired broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps at 81.9%. 35.2% of locations have a choice of two or more wired providers at that speed; at 46.7% there is only one.1
FCC National Broadband Map, availability as of June 30, 2026 (data revised November 10, 2026), as reported by providers.
South region, South Atlantic division
In four years West Virginia traded most of its copper telephone lines for fiber on the FCC's map: DSL fell from 57.9%2 of locations to 15.1% while fiber rose to 47.0%1. Yet the state still has the second-highest share of homes and businesses with no reliable service and, in the Census survey, the lowest share of households paying for broadband.
Frontier, Optimum, Xfinity and the 5G carriers
The FCC's National Broadband Map, with data as of June 30, 2026 (revision of November 10, 2026), counts 897,5431 broadband serviceable locations in West Virginia: each house, apartment building or small business that could take a connection counts once. A provider that lists a location says it could connect it within ten business days, and anyone can challenge a listing that is wrong.
The three largest wired networks are Frontier, Optimum and Xfinity. 48.3% of locations are in Frontier's reported area, which mixes fiber and DSL; it offers fiber at 35.0% of the state's locations and advertises download tiers up to 7 Gbps. Optimum's cable network reaches 28.9% and Xfinity's 27.2%. Optimum is the only wired provider offering 100/20 Mbps at 14.1% of all locations and Xfinity at 12.8%, more than any other company. Smaller wired networks cover particular regions: Shentel (Glo Fiber) at 8.2% of locations, concentrated in McDowell and Wyoming counties, and Breezeline at 4.0%1; Citynet's fiber is concentrated in a few central counties such as Gilmer.
| T-Mobile | Licensed wireless | 55.9% | 17.7% | 100 Mbps | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier | Fiber DSL | 48.3% | 35.0% | 7 Gbps | 6.0% |
| AT&T | Licensed wireless | 30.0% | 1.3% | 100 Mbps | – |
| Optimum | Cable | 28.9% | 28.9% | 2 Gbps | 14.1% |
| Xfinity | Fiber Cable | 27.2% | 27.2% | 2 Gbps | 12.8% |
| Verizon | Licensed wireless | 20.8% | 12.9% | 300 Mbps | – |
| Shentel (Glo Fiber) | Fiber Cable DSL | 8.2% | 8.2% | 10 Gbps | 5.0% |
| Breezeline | Fiber Cable | 4.0% | 4.0% | 2 Gbps | 0.8% |
| Morgan Wireless LLC | Fixed wireless | 3.6% | 0.0% | 25 Mbps | – |
| Spectrum | Fiber Cable | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1 Gbps | 0.6% |
| Micrologic | Fiber Fixed wireless | 3.4% | 0.9% | 2 Gbps | 0.3% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Share of the area's broadband serviceable locations where the provider reports service as of June 30, 2026. "Only wired option" is the share of locations where it is the single wired provider at 100/20 Mbps. Provider-reported and challengeable; speeds are advertised maximums, not measured; no prices. Satellite providers (HughesNet, Starlink, Viasat) report service at nearly every location and are left out of the table.
The widest reach belongs to a wireless network. 55.9% of locations are inside T-Mobile's reported home internet area, but it offers 100/20 Mbps at only 17.7%. AT&T, which reported no fixed wireless service in West Virginia in the June 2022 map, now lists 30.0% of locations, with 100/20 Mbps at 1.3%; Verizon lists 20.8%. Even with those additions, licensed fixed wireless (the category that includes 5G home internet) reaches 66.5% of West Virginia's locations, the 3rd lowest share of any state, against 87.3%1 nationally.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Share of broadband serviceable locations where at least one provider reports the technology, at any speed; a location can have several. Satellite is reported almost everywhere and is left out.
Show the numbers
| Technology | West Virginia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber | 47.0% | 62.6% |
| Cable | 67.7% | 80.3% |
| DSL (copper) | 15.1% | 36.2% |
| Licensed fixed wireless (incl. 5G home) | 66.5% | 87.3% |
| Unlicensed fixed wireless | 8.0% | 19.7% |
Copper out, fiber in
Only Connecticut saw a larger fall in DSL coverage. In June 2022, the first location-based release, DSL was reported at 57.9% of West Virginia's locations and fiber at 14.0%2. By June 2026 DSL had fallen by 42.8 percentage points to 15.1%, and fiber had risen by 33.0 percentage points to 47.0%, compared with a national rise of 25.4 percentage points. Fiber also grew by 5.2 percentage points in the six months after December 2025 alone, the 4th highest1 gain of any state in that release.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Shares of broadband serviceable locations in each FCC release (latest revision of each); the small number is the change in percentage points since June 30, 2022. The FCC's count of locations is updated with each release, so shares are compared rather than counts.
Show the numbers
| Measure | June 30, 2022 | December 31, 2025 | June 30, 2026 | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSL available | 57.9% | 15.5% | 15.1% | −42.8 pts |
| Fiber available | 14.0% | 41.8% | 47.0% | 33.0 pts |
| Wired 100/100 Mbps | 14.6% | 49.8% | 55.2% | 40.6 pts |
| Gigabit (1,000/100) | 13.1% | 49.3% | 54.6% | 41.4 pts |
| Wired 100/20 Mbps | 68.6% | 80.4% | 81.9% | 13.4 pts |
Speeds moved with the wire. The share of locations where some provider advertises 100 Mbps in both directions went from 14.6% to 55.2%, and the share where the fastest advertised download is 2 Gbps or more went from 11.3%2 to 52.9%. West Virginia still sits near the bottom on both counts: fiber reaches the 9th lowest share among the states and a gigabit download with a 100 Mbps upload the 5th lowest. The FCC's location list barely changed over the period, by +2401 locations, so the shares compare like with like.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Maximum advertised download speed (Mbps) of any wired or fixed wireless offer at the location, as reported by providers to the FCC; satellite excluded. Advertised, not measured.
Show the numbers
| Area | Under 25 Mbps or none | 25–99 | 100–249 | 250–499 | 500–939 | 940–1,999 | 2,000 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 12.8% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 26.2% | 52.9% |
| United States | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 31.0% | 61.0% |
Satellite as the only option
Coverage gaps are larger here than almost anywhere. 11.4% of West Virginia's locations are unserved under the federal BEAD definition, meaning no reliable wired or licensed fixed wireless service of at least 25/3 Mbps; only Alaska has a higher share. Nationally the figure is 2.4%. At 6.4% of locations, 57,1571 in all, no wired or fixed wireless provider reports any service, leaving Viasat, HughesNet and Starlink, which report coverage at virtually every location in the country.
The unserved share has fallen, from 20.9% in June 2022. The satellite-only share went the other way: it rose from 2.9%2 to a peak of 7.4%3 in December 2025 before easing to 6.4%, and its rise of 3.5 percentage points since 2022 is the largest of any state. Over the same four years the share of locations with a licensed fixed wireless listing fell by 12.9 percentage points1, one of the larger drops among the states. The map records what providers report, not why a provider stops listing a location.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties have larger gaps. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
The satellite-only locations cluster in the central interior. Calhoun County has the highest share, 34.8% of its 3,684 locations, and Braxton County is next at 31.4%. Braxton also has the state's highest unserved share, 54.3%; there, fiber is reported at 0.3% of locations and wired 100/20 Mbps at 33.8%. Monroe County, on the Virginia line, is the other county where more than half of all locations are unserved (52.5%). It is one of the few counties where the unserved share rose since 2022, by 5.8 percentage points, and fiber is reported at 1 of its 8,5481 locations.
| Braxton County, West Virginia | 7,613 | 54.3% | 31.4% | 49.9% | 33.8% | 0.3% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County, West Virginia | 8,548 | 52.5% | 23.5% | 43.9% | 17.5% | 0.0% |
| Calhoun County, West Virginia | 3,684 | 44.0% | 34.8% | 25.4% | 51.0% | 34.0% |
| Roane County, West Virginia | 8,251 | 47.5% | 23.2% | 45.4% | 35.5% | 21.1% |
| Clay County, West Virginia | 4,343 | 45.0% | 26.7% | 31.8% | 39.4% | 32.4% |
| Barbour County, West Virginia | 8,622 | 42.1% | 22.1% | 34.1% | 49.7% | 34.4% |
| Summers County, West Virginia | 7,989 | 42.4% | 15.1% | 62.2% | 37.9% | 18.1% |
| West Virginia | 897,543 | 11.4% | 6.4% | 66.5% | 81.9% | 47.0% |
| United States | 115,784,915 | 2.4% | 0.8% | 87.3% | 92.3% | 62.6% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
McDowell and Wyoming: one network each
The southern coalfields show a different pattern. In McDowell and Wyoming counties nearly every location has a wire, and usually just one. McDowell County has the highest fiber share in the state, 91.0%, and most of it comes from a single company, Shentel (Glo Fiber), which reports service at 83.7% of locations. Exactly one wired provider offers 100/20 Mbps at 90.8% of McDowell County's locations, and a gigabit download with a 100 Mbps upload is reported at only 8.2%. Part of it is recent: the county's share rose by 29.1 percentage points1 after June 2022.
Next door in Wyoming County the same company, Shentel (Glo Fiber), reaches 85.2% of locations, but mostly over cable: cable is reported at 87.2% of the county's locations and fiber at 9.4%. In Mingo County cable reaches 77.0% and fiber 13.3%1. Logan and Boone counties have more of both, and more choice.
| Area | Locations (BSLs) | Fiber available | Cable available | Wired 100/20 Mbps | One wired choice | Two or more wired choices | Gigabit (1,000/100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell County, West Virginia | 11,480 | 91.0% | 0.5% | 91.5% | 90.8% | 0.7% | 8.2% |
| Wyoming County, West Virginia | 11,128 | 9.4% | 87.2% | 88.5% | 79.9% | 8.6% | 8.9% |
| Mingo County, West Virginia | 11,850 | 13.3% | 77.0% | 78.6% | 66.6% | 12.0% | 13.3% |
| Logan County, West Virginia | 15,702 | 46.0% | 81.0% | 87.2% | 45.2% | 42.0% | 45.8% |
| Boone County, West Virginia | 10,450 | 43.2% | 81.7% | 89.5% | 54.1% | 35.4% | 43.2% |
| Raleigh County, West Virginia | 37,552 | 42.3% | 82.2% | 84.0% | 43.4% | 40.6% | 42.3% |
| West Virginia | 897,543 | 47.0% | 67.7% | 81.9% | 46.7% | 35.2% | 54.6% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
Gilmer to Hampshire: where fiber arrived
Many of the largest fiber gains since 2022 came in rural counties that had little or none before. The largest rise was in Hampshire County, in the Eastern Panhandle, where the share changed by +80.3 percentage points and Frontier reports service at 82.2% of locations. In Gilmer County fiber rose by 78.4 percentage points; Citynet LLC now reports fiber at 79.9% of its locations, and the county's unserved share fell by 62.6 percentage points. Randolph County rose by 70.3 percentage points, with Micrologic the largest provider at 62.3%. In 10 of the state's 554 counties the gain was 50 percentage points or more, including Cabell County, home to Huntington, where fiber went to 67.2%1.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties are higher. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
No county's reported fiber share fell after June 2022, but in a few it barely moved: 0.0 percentage points in Monroe County, +0.2 percentage points in Braxton and +0.3 percentage points1 in Ritchie. Monroe and Braxton are also the two counties where more than half of all locations are unserved.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. Darker counties are higher. Point at a county for its value; the county table has every figure. FCC file revision of November 10, 2026. Shares are of broadband serviceable locations (homes and businesses), not people.
Every county is in the table below, with its fiber share, wired coverage, choice and gaps.
| Barbour County | 8,622 | 34.4% | 49.7% | 4.5% | 42.1% | Frontier | 67.0% ±4.5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 54,627 | 50.7% | 94.8% | 43.2% | 3.2% | Xfinity | 76.8% ±1.4 |
| Boone County | 10,450 | 43.2% | 89.5% | 35.4% | 3.7% | Frontier | 72.4% ±3.2 |
| Braxton County | 7,613 | 0.3% | 33.8% | 0.0% | 54.3% | Shentel (Glo Fiber) | 53.9% ±4.4 |
| Brooke County | 10,952 | 30.8% | 96.2% | 24.9% | 1.3% | Xfinity | 66.6% ±3.6 |
| Cabell County | 39,164 | 67.2% | 94.1% | 62.7% | 3.5% | Xfinity | 71.4% ±1.9 |
| Calhoun County | 3,684 | 34.0% | 51.0% | 4.4% | 44.0% | Citynet LLC | 52.6% ±6.6 |
| Clay County | 4,343 | 32.4% | 39.4% | 4.2% | 45.0% | Frontier | 54.4% ±5.9 |
| Doddridge County | 4,227 | 69.1% | 87.3% | 18.0% | 10.7% | Citynet LLC | 64.5% ±6.4 |
| Fayette County | 22,007 | 25.1% | 69.3% | 23.1% | 17.1% | Frontier | 57.4% ±2.9 |
| Gilmer County | 3,696 | 80.4% | 95.7% | 16.3% | 4.0% | Citynet LLC | 52.4% ±6.6 |
| Grant County | 7,106 | 49.4% | 62.4% | 32.6% | 31.4% | Frontier | 61.4% ±5.0 |
| Greenbrier County | 19,536 | 33.7% | 69.0% | 15.0% | 19.6% | Frontier | 62.0% ±2.8 |
| Hampshire County | 13,731 | 84.1% | 86.7% | 22.1% | 10.2% | Frontier | 61.8% ±4.2 |
| Hancock County | 14,438 | 41.4% | 95.2% | 36.2% | 2.8% | Xfinity | 71.0% ±3.2 |
| Hardy County | 9,049 | 86.9% | 86.9% | 2.9% | 10.3% | Hardy Telecommunications Inc | 66.3% ±3.5 |
| Harrison County | 32,752 | 67.6% | 84.6% | 60.6% | 9.5% | Frontier | 71.3% ±1.8 |
| Jackson County | 14,348 | 58.4% | 70.5% | 36.4% | 16.7% | Frontier | 59.5% ±3.1 |
| Jefferson County | 25,167 | 35.5% | 91.2% | 32.5% | 4.5% | Xfinity | 79.9% ±1.9 |
| Kanawha County | 83,055 | 35.0% | 89.9% | 33.4% | 2.8% | Optimum | 74.2% ±1.2 |
| Lewis County | 9,216 | 47.3% | 73.2% | 37.3% | 22.7% | Shentel (Glo Fiber) | 67.7% ±3.5 |
| Lincoln County | 10,094 | 35.2% | 80.2% | 24.6% | 17.6% | Armstrong | 65.3% ±4.5 |
| Logan County | 15,702 | 46.0% | 87.2% | 42.0% | 4.3% | Optimum | 84.0% ±2.4 |
| Marion County | 26,914 | 51.4% | 84.6% | 50.2% | 9.4% | Frontier | 74.9% ±1.8 |
| Marshall County | 16,489 | 36.3% | 82.5% | 25.1% | 11.3% | Xfinity | 69.1% ±3.0 |
| Mason County | 14,109 | 51.2% | 72.3% | 24.2% | 15.8% | Frontier | 62.9% ±3.4 |
| McDowell County | 11,480 | 91.0% | 91.5% | 0.7% | 8.2% | Shentel (Glo Fiber) | 71.7% ±4.3 |
| Mercer County | 30,508 | 61.3% | 85.0% | 55.5% | 10.1% | Frontier | 69.3% ±2.6 |
| Mineral County | 13,765 | 16.9% | 82.7% | 7.1% | 8.6% | Frontier | 73.1% ±3.8 |
| Mingo County | 11,850 | 13.3% | 78.6% | 12.0% | 15.2% | Frontier | 75.8% ±3.2 |
| Monongalia County | 38,525 | 58.9% | 94.0% | 62.0% | 3.4% | Xfinity | 77.0% ±1.7 |
| Monroe County | 8,548 | 0.0% | 17.5% | 0.0% | 52.5% | Frontier | 50.3% ±5.8 |
| Morgan County | 10,902 | 49.7% | 73.9% | 14.8% | 13.9% | Frontier | 63.0% ±3.9 |
| Nicholas County | 14,458 | 36.2% | 66.5% | 14.7% | 22.1% | Frontier | 57.6% ±4.4 |
| Ohio County | 18,826 | 45.5% | 97.0% | 41.4% | 1.2% | Xfinity | 71.7% ±2.3 |
| Pendleton County | 5,936 | 58.9% | 66.8% | 8.1% | 31.2% | Spruce Knob Seneca Rocks Telephone | 63.2% ±5.4 |
| Pleasants County | 3,759 | 12.0% | 53.4% | 4.5% | 32.2% | Frontier | 72.6% ±6.2 |
| Pocahontas County | 7,572 | 56.8% | 69.2% | 16.4% | 28.0% | Frontier | 57.0% ±5.1 |
| Preston County | 19,054 | 66.1% | 74.0% | 35.5% | 14.7% | Prodigi | 64.9% ±2.4 |
| Putnam County | 25,895 | 68.2% | 88.8% | 56.8% | 5.9% | Frontier | 74.2% ±2.3 |
| Raleigh County | 37,552 | 42.3% | 84.0% | 40.6% | 6.0% | Optimum | 61.7% ±2.5 |
| Randolph County | 15,112 | 70.3% | 81.0% | 48.4% | 14.0% | Micrologic | 68.1% ±3.7 |
| Ritchie County | 6,318 | 76.8% | 84.4% | 5.8% | 13.0% | Armstrong | 62.2% ±4.7 |
| Roane County | 8,251 | 21.1% | 35.5% | 6.9% | 47.5% | Frontier | 50.6% ±3.0 |
| Summers County | 7,989 | 18.1% | 37.9% | 16.3% | 42.4% | Frontier | 43.6% ±6.5 |
| Taylor County | 8,371 | 59.4% | 88.5% | 46.4% | 5.4% | Xfinity | 67.4% ±5.3 |
| Tucker County | 5,711 | 38.4% | 78.2% | 25.3% | 17.0% | Frontier | 63.7% ±4.7 |
| Tyler County | 5,228 | 37.4% | 53.4% | 21.6% | 35.1% | Frontier | 54.9% ±4.6 |
| Upshur County | 12,373 | 53.5% | 71.1% | 35.2% | 20.7% | Frontier | 68.0% ±3.3 |
| Wayne County | 19,044 | 24.4% | 80.1% | 12.8% | 14.5% | Armstrong | 73.1% ±2.7 |
| Webster County | 5,175 | 23.8% | 66.5% | 7.7% | 28.8% | Shentel (Glo Fiber) | 66.5% ±4.2 |
| Wetzel County | 8,894 | 44.8% | 77.4% | 22.3% | 15.0% | Optimum | 61.8% ±4.1 |
| Wirt County | 3,556 | 31.7% | 58.8% | 0.3% | 23.8% | Frontier | 54.0% ±6.5 |
| Wood County | 40,672 | 51.5% | 90.4% | 64.5% | 2.1% | Optimum | 71.2% ±1.9 |
| Wyoming County | 11,128 | 9.4% | 88.5% | 8.6% | 11.1% | Shentel (Glo Fiber) | 62.2% ±4.8 |
| West Virginia | 897,543 | 47.0% | 81.9% | 35.2% | 11.4% | 69.7% |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables. Shares of broadband serviceable locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC). 2+ wired choices: two or more wired providers at 100/20 Mbps. Unserved: BEAD definition. Largest wired provider: reports fiber, cable or DSL at the most locations. Wired subscription: households with a cable, fiber or DSL subscription, American Community Survey 2020–2024 (± 90% margin of error).
A second wire around Parkersburg, Clarksburg and Huntington
Two or more wired providers offer 100/20 Mbps at 35.2% of West Virginia's locations, the 6th lowest share among the states, against 55.6% nationally. That is up from 11.5%2 in June 2022. At 46.7% of locations exactly one wired provider offers that speed, and at 18.1% none does. Two separate fiber networks overlap at only 3.6%1.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026. Different wired providers (fiber, cable or DSL; FCC provider IDs) reporting 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up or more at the same location. Fixed wireless and satellite are not counted.
Show the numbers
| Area | None | One | Two | Three or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 18.1% | 46.7% | 31.0% | 4.2% |
| Wood County | 9.6% | 25.9% | 38.3% | 26.1% |
| Harrison County | 15.5% | 23.9% | 52.4% | 8.3% |
| Cabell County | 5.9% | 31.4% | 61.4% | 1.3% |
| Monongalia County | 6.0% | 32.0% | 36.1% | 25.9% |
| Kanawha County | 10.1% | 56.4% | 33.4% | 0.1% |
| United States | 7.8% | 36.6% | 44.6% | 11.1% |
Choice follows the larger towns. Wood County, around Parkersburg, has the highest share of locations with two or more wired choices, 64.5%, followed by Cabell, around Huntington (62.7%), Monongalia (62.0%) and Harrison County, around Clarksburg (60.6%). Kanawha County, the largest by locations and home to Charleston, has wired 100/20 Mbps at 89.9% of locations but a second wire at only 33.4%. In 71 counties at least half of all locations have two wired choices.
The lowest broadband subscription rate of any state
Availability and subscription are measured differently: the FCC counts locations that could be connected, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey asks households what they pay for. In the 2025 survey, 89.7% of West Virginia households had a broadband subscription of any kind (margin of error ±0.7 percentage points), which ranks the lowest among the states, and 10.1% had no internet subscription at all, which ranks the highest6. In the 2019 survey the figure was 81.0%7. These are survey estimates, and states ranked next to each other may not differ significantly.
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables. Availability is a share of locations as of June 30, 2026 (FCC); subscriptions are a share of households from the American Community Survey, 2025 (whiskers: 90% margin of error). Different units and dates: read the gap as a sign, not an exact number.
Show the numbers
| Measure | Share | MOE |
|---|---|---|
| Wired 100/20 Mbps available (FCC, share of locations) | 81.9% | |
| Households subscribing to cable, fiber or DSL (Census) | 68.6% | ±1.1 |
| Households relying only on a cellular data plan | 13.5% | ±0.7 |
| Households with no internet subscription | 10.1% | ±0.7 |
Several related figures place West Virginia at the same end of the table. 6.1% of households had no computer, smartphone or tablet (the highest among the states), and 82.2% of residents aged 65 and older lived in a household with a computer and broadband (the lowest). Satellite subscriptions are common: 9.5% of households report one, the 6th highest share. By income, 77.0% of households earning under $20,000 subscribed, against 95.9%6 of those earning $75,000 or more.
Cost is not the reason most non-users give. In NTIA's 2023 Internet Use Survey, 67.7% of West Virginia households that did not use the internet at home said they had no need or interest, and 13.8%8 named cost; both estimates have wide margins. For those who qualify, the federal Lifeline discount had 55,9869 West Virginia subscribers, and USAC estimates participation among eligible households at 32.0%, the 5th highest10 rate among the states. When the Affordable Connectivity Program stopped enrolling in February 2024, 128,57111 West Virginia households were signed up, about 17.6 per 100 households12; the program ended on June 1, 2024. The FCC map has no price data.
BEAD: fiber for nearly every location, most of the money unassigned
West Virginia's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) plan is almost all fiber. Of an allocation of $1.21 billion, the 11th highest13 among the states, the approved Final Proposal covers 73,091 locations at a BEAD cost of $545.7 million, with providers committing a further $239.6 million. At $7,466 of BEAD money per location, the plan is the 7th highest14 among the states with an approved plan.
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. Locations in the state's approved BEAD Final Proposal by technology of the selected projects, as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview; subject to NTIA and NIST final review and award.
Show the numbers
| Technology | Share of BEAD locations |
|---|---|
| Fiber | 93.6% |
| Cable | 0.0% |
| Fixed wireless | 0.0% |
| Low-Earth-orbit satellite | 6.4% |
68,395 of the plan's locations (93.6%) are assigned to fiber, the 2nd highest fiber share of any state plan, and 4,696 (6.4%) to low-Earth-orbit satellite; none is assigned to fixed wireless. $665.1 million14 of the allocation, more than the plan's construction cost, is not assigned to construction, and how it may be used was not settled as of November 2026. The West Virginia Office of Broadband publishes the state's BEAD documents and challenge results.
Earlier federal programs also paid for construction here. The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund had paid out $131.7 million in the state, with service deployed at 43,29315 locations, and the Treasury's Capital Projects Fund allocated $136.3 million16.
| Program | Amount | As of |
|---|---|---|
| BEAD allocation (NTIA, announced June 26, 2023) | $1,210,800,970 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: locations to be connected | 73,091 | |
| BEAD Final Proposal: deployment cost | $545,692,254 | |
| BEAD cost per location | $7,466 | |
| BEAD allocation not assigned to deployment | $665,108,716 | |
| Treasury Capital Projects Fund allocation | $136,303,698 | |
| RDOF: locations built with support (cumulative) | 43,293 | |
| USDA ReConnect grants reported to USAspending | $0 | |
| Lifeline subscribers claimed | 55,986 | |
| Lifeline participation rate | 32.0% | |
| Households in the Affordable Connectivity Program, February 2024 | 128,571 |
Source: NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs; Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data; Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; USAC, Lifeline participation rate; USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024. BEAD figures are as printed in NTIA's Final Proposal overview, subject to final review; "not assigned to deployment" is the allocation minus the deployment cost (NTIA calls it savings; how it may be used is not settled). The ACP stopped taking applications on February 8, 2024 and ended on June 1, 2024.
West Virginia cities and towns
No West Virginia city reaches 100,000 residents. Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Wheeling and every other city and town of 10,000 or more are listed below.
| Charleston | 46,117 | 62.9% | 63.1% | 62.0% | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington | 44,815 | 72.2% | 85.6% | 72.0% | 3 |
| Morgantown | 30,293 | 87.3% | 98.6% | 93.1% | 2 |
| Parkersburg | 28,593 | 83.0% | 87.7% | 84.8% | 2 |
| Wheeling | 25,680 | 53.5% | 81.4% | 53.4% | 2 |
| Martinsburg | 19,211 | 86.7% | 98.1% | 86.6% | 3 |
| Weirton | 18,133 | 67.5% | 87.1% | 67.3% | 2 |
| Fairmont | 18,035 | 86.2% | 86.2% | 85.6% | 2 |
| Beckley | 16,373 | 84.9% | 84.9% | 83.1% | 1 |
| Clarksburg | 15,562 | 84.9% | 84.9% | 83.6% | 3 |
| South Charleston | 13,072 | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2 |
| Vienna | 10,321 | 34.8% | 79.2% | 77.8% | 1 |
| St. Albans | 10,210 | 77.7% | 77.7% | 76.9% | 1 |
Source: FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files. Shares of broadband serviceable locations inside city limits (2020 census blocks), as of June 30, 2026. Population: July 1, 2025 estimate. Gigabit: 1,000/100 Mbps.
Questions and answers
What internet providers are available in West Virginia?
Leaving satellite aside, the providers with the widest reported reach are T-Mobile (55.9% of locations, licensed fixed wireless), Frontier (48.3%, fiber and DSL), AT&T (30.0%, licensed fixed wireless) and Optimum (28.9%, cable). 281 companies report wired service somewhere in the state, as of June 30, 2026.
Is fiber internet available in West Virginia?
At least one provider reports fiber at 47.0% of West Virginia's homes and businesses, up from 14.0%2 in June 2022. Frontier has the largest fiber footprint, at 35.0%1 of locations. Whether a given address has it is a question for the FCC's National Broadband Map, which lists every provider that reports service there.
How many West Virginians lack broadband?
Proportionally more than in any state except Alaska. Counting FCC locations rather than people, as of June 30, 2026, 102,269 West Virginia homes and businesses (11.4%) were unserved, without reliable service of even 25/3 Mbps, and 22,116 more were underserved. At 57,1571 locations satellite is the only service any provider reports.
What is the cheapest internet in West Virginia?
Providers file no prices with the FCC, and no official source compares West Virginia plans; each provider's broadband facts label lists them. West Virginians who qualify use the federal Lifeline discount, $9.25 a month, more than most: USAC estimates 32.0% of eligible households take part, the 5th highest10 rate. When the Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024, 128,57111 households here lost it.
How much BEAD money does West Virginia get?
West Virginia's allocation is $1.21 billion13. Its approved plan assigns fiber to 93.6% of its 73,091 locations, the 2nd highest fiber share of any state, at a BEAD cost of $545.7 million; $665.1 million14 remains unassigned.
Checking one address in West Virginia
The figures on this page describe the whole area. Which providers report service at a single home or apartment is shown only on the FCC's own map: search the address at broadbandmap.fcc.gov. If a provider is listed there but cannot actually connect you within ten business days, or the location is missing or misplaced, the map has a button to file a challenge; providers must respond, and corrections flow into later releases. Prices and plans are not part of the FCC data: each provider must show them on its broadband facts label at the point of sale.
More on internet in and around West Virginia
Neighboring states: Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Put West Virginia side by side with any state or large city in the comparison tool.
| Ranking | Value | Rank (1 = highest) |
|---|---|---|
| Fiber internet availability by state | 47.0% | 43rd of 51 |
| Internet speed by state: where gigabit service is offered | 54.6% | 47th of 51 |
| Broadband coverage by state | 81.9% | 46th of 51 |
| Internet provider competition by state | 35.2% | 46th of 51 |
| Unserved and underserved broadband locations by state | 11.4% | 2nd of 51 |
| Where fiber has grown since 2022 | 33.0% | 15th of 51 |
| 5G home internet and licensed fixed wireless by state | 66.5% | 49th of 51 |
| Households with an internet subscription by state | 89.7% | 51st of 51 |
| BEAD broadband funding by state | 7,466.0% | 7th of 50 |
Sources
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2026; Availability as of June 30, 2026; released November 10, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of June 30, 2022; Availability as of June 30, 2022; released May 10, 2024. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- FCC, National Broadband Map, data as of December 31, 2025; Availability as of December 31, 2025; released November 3, 2026. broadbandmap.fcc.gov
- Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file cb_2025_us_county_5m. www2.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year detailed tables; 2020-2024; released January 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year detailed tables; 2025 (calendar-year sample); released October 29, 2026. api.census.gov
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019 1-year detailed tables; 2019. api.census.gov
- NTIA Data Explorer "Analyze Table"; November 2023 (also all prior waves 1994-2021). www.ntia.gov
- Universal Service Administrative Co., Lifeline Disbursements; Support months 2018-01 to 2026-09. opendata.usac.org
- USAC, Lifeline participation rate; released August 17, 2026. www.usac.org
- USAC, ACP Enrollments by County as of February 8, 2024; Enrolled households as of 2024-02-08 (Data Month January 2024 file). www.usac.org
- US Internet Map, Our calculation from the sources named in the definition.
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Award Recipients pages; Allocations announced 2023-06-26; released June 26, 2023. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- NTIA BroadbandUSA, BEAD Final Proposal Overview one-page PDFs. broadbandusa.ntia.gov
- USAC, CAF Disbursements and Locations Data. opendata.usac.org
- Department of the Treasury, Capital Projects Fund Awards Made to States, Territories, and Freely Associated States, to date; Allocations under ARPA sec. 604 (awards announced 2022-06 to 2023). home.treasury.gov
- Department of the Treasury, spending_by_award API for Assistance Listings 10.752; Awards with action dates FY2008 to 2026-09-30. api.usaspending.gov
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates; July 1, 2025; released May 14, 2026. www.census.gov
- Census Bureau, 2020 Census Block Assignment Files; released December 11, 2020. www2.census.gov
Margins of error (±) are at the 90% confidence level. A difference is called significant only when it passes the Census Bureau's test at that level. How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.