During a press event at the West Virginia State Capitol Friday, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, along with T-Mobile executive Edwige Robinson, highlighted the impact of a $200 million investment from T-Mobile in the Mountain State.
The state has traditionally been ranked near the bottom of studies comparing the availability of high-speed broadband and mobile service across all 50 states.
Partly a result of T-Mobile investments, West Virginia is on an upward trajectory. One recent study showed a 66% increase in median download speeds in West Virginia from 2022 to 2023.
“West Virginia’s journey towards improved connectivity is a testament to the power of collaboration,” said Justice. “We’ve been working diligently with T-Mobile and other partners, to ensure that all corners of our state have access to the tools and resources they need to thrive in the digital age. The $200 million investment by T-Mobile is a game-changer, contributing to wider 5G coverage and faster internet speeds for West Virginians.”
Through a merger with Sprint in 2020, T-Mobile has made a commitment to improve internet connectivity and mobile service for rural and small-town America. In 2021, T-Mobile finalized its acquisition of Shentel Wireless, one of the primary mobile service providers in West Virginia. An additional $200 million has upgraded 5G service via 377 new towers and upgrades to 121 existing towers.
The result:
- 100% of interstate highways in West Virginia are serviced with T-Mobile 5G;
- 90% of West Virginians now have T-Mobile 5G access, up 30%, or 500,000 people, in just two years;
- 70% of West Virginians now have access to Ultra Capacity 5G which delivers median download speeds of 99.98 Mbps statewide, 41% faster than in 2021;
- Expanded backup power sources to ensure redundancy in case of severe weather or other emergencies that may impact mobile service.
T-Mobile is the fastest provider in West Virginia, according to third-party experts at Ookla.
“Part of T-Mobile’s promise when we merged with Sprint was to build a more connected country leveraging 5G,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, president of Technology at T-Mobile.”
