In West Virginia, the Ghent Volunteer Fire Department has signed up for a broadband stimulus program that is designed to increase broadband education and access in underserved areas of the state.

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As broadband access and adoption projects continue to expand around the country, many of those communities benefitting from broadband are beginning to take notice. Here is a look at editorials from around the country where those broadband projects are getting underway:

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Last week, we brought you several stories of new statewide broadband projects getting underway as a result of the $1.2 billion being allocated by the USDA as part of the larger broadband stimulus. You can read about those projects here, here, here and here. Today, we bring you three more stories of how high-speed Internet is being used to connect businesses and homes across America:

New Mexico: $435, 500 has been awarded to Dell Telephone Cooperative Inc. to expand rural broadband access. Read more about the project here.

New York: $42 million will go toward five state projects designed to improve broadband infrastructure and  adoption across the state. "This funding is a down-payment on a long-term goal to connect each and every one of the people of these counties to the internet," said Sen. Chuck Schumer. Read more about the projects here.

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West Virginia is moving forward with its unique plan to create a statewide broadband network to draw in businesses and home users. Most other states who have received broadband stimulus funds do so at the county level, but West Virginia is already looking beyond simply getting local residents connected:

West Virginia’s Commerce Secretary Kelly Goes said “After we get the system working smoothly in that first county, we’re going to wire everything that needs it in every county, statewide.” Governor Joe Manchin said in 2007 that the state would be wired, and thus this process began long before there was even a thought of a federal grant.

“If we can use the broadband stimulus dollars to overbuild fiber optic capacity in the communities, then that extra capacity can be expanded to the community in the future,” Kyle Schafer, chief technical officer for the project said, “That’s the intent. It will be a real selling point for new businesses and new residents who want to work from home.”

“In today’s world, the ability to move data is as necessary as electricity, water and sewer — no question.” Goes said. “We have a very tight deadline to get this substantially done within 24 months,” “We’re on track to do that.”

Read the full Broadband Breakfast article here.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin’s office announced the creation of a new Health IT center yesterday:

The governor's office says money for the center is coming from a federal stimulus grant aimed at helping states modernize health information technology and records.

Manchin's office says the governor will be joined by Health and Human Resources Secretary Patsy Hardy, among others, at an 11 a.m. news conference at the Capitol.

Read the full article here.

Here is a look at some of the broadband stories in the news across the country:

In Nevada, Gov. Jim Gibbons announced his state’s broadband availability map, which is designed to promote broadband access and adoption throughout the state. “The map and the technology which will follow will create jobs to construct these critical networks, establish employment opportunities where they never existed before, bring a new level of economic competitiveness, allow e-government to be more fully deployed, will lower taxes by lowering the cost of government,  allow healthcare providers and caregivers to deliver world class services in every corner of the state, and most importantly, bring educational opportunities through distance-learning models for our children where such opportunities did not exist,” Gibbons said. Read the full story here.

In West Virginia, the state’s Broadband Council is working to expand high-speed Internet access to underserved and rural parts of the state. "We need to look at how we can stimulate them to go to those communities," said Mike Filoux, a council member and vice president of business development at Citynet. "Are there enough paying customers to make that community a viable community?" About 20 percent of West Virginia’s businesses and homes do not have access to broadband, according to state officials.  Read the full story here.

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