West Virginia lawmakers and broadband officials are working to resolve disputes between internet service providers and utility companies over poles. And nearby states might have a solution.
In Kentucky, Ohio and other states, lawmakers have created pole replacement funds to speed up their broadband rollouts. Lawmakers have used state and federal money to help internet service providers offset the costs of poles.
These funds work by reimbursing the cost of replacing poles for broadband projects. Utility poles, especially wooden ones, can wear out and internet providers attach fiber lines to poles so homeowners can receive high-speed internet…