Gov. Joe Manchin signed a bill April 10 designed to move West Virginia closer to statewide high-speed internet access by 2010. The measure primarily establishes technical standards and reporting requirements for state infrastructure, and creates a broadband development council responsible for mapping and deployment of broadband services.

The bill sets a standard of 600 kilobits per second (kbps), or about three times as high as the Federal Communications Commission standard for broadband and 15 to 20 times the speed of a dial-up connection. The lack of broadband access has been cited as drag on new-business development in many rural states, including West Virginia. Broadband allows more data to be transmitted faster than dial-up services. More than technology-oriented companies rely on broadband. Retailers who need access to credit card processing and inventory; architects, and design professionals— it’s crucial for every business that transfers files.

“Having an ‘always on’ internet connection is becoming a prerequisite for businesses,” said Grant P. Moerschel, a principal in WaveGard, a Shepherdstown-based wireless security consulting company.

“It’s now commonplace for employees to use online services for business operations rather than traditional software applications installed on their computers,” said Moershel. “For example, Quickbooks online for accounting or salesforce.com’s customer relationship management systems. These are subscription-based internet business applications,” he said, adding, “Easy, inexpensive access to broadband is really a must.”

“Broadband technology is increasingly essential to enabling West Virginians to better compete in today’s global and technologically-savvy economy,” said Manchin at the bill’s signing.

In Vermont, for example, a statewide mandate for universal access to broadband has been credited with creating a much broader economic base. Like West Virginia, Vermont is a rural, mountainous state in which tourism and forestry are economic mainstays. Vermont ranked among the nation’s poorest states in the 1960s. Tourism helped boost the state’s fortunes, but its economic diversification came from its ability to attract technology and medical companies dependent on telecommunications infrastructure, according to the state’s Agency of Commerce & Community Development.

American Public University, which employs about 150 people in Charles Town, is a prime example of the economic impacts of broadband in the Eastern Panhandle. The institution’s move to Charles Town has had an enormous impact on downtown Charles Town and the county. APU President Wally Boston has said that the school could not have come to Jefferson County without broadband in Charles Town.

The effort in West Virginia now is to create a map that shows where broadband already is available. The map will allow the state to identify unserved and underserved areas. From there a plan will be finalized to connect hills, hollows, and towns to customers, clients, and businesses in the rest of the world.