Doddridge County School Families Receive Free Gigabit Internet Through Citynet Partnership
WEST UNION, W.Va. — Families with students enrolled in Doddridge County Schools can now receive free gigabit internet service at home through a partnership years in the making between the school system, local government and Bridgeport based Citynet.
Eligible households can receive Citynet's 1 Gig fiber internet service at no monthly cost through July 31, 2027.
The service includes symmetrical speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps for downloads and uploads, WiFi equipment and professional installation, all at no cost. The connection can be used by the entire household and does not require a contract.
The program is available to households located in Doddridge County with a student currently enrolled in Doddridge County Schools, subject to Citynet service availability at the address.
It marks the latest step in a broadband effort that dates to 2019.
The Doddridge County Commission initially invested $1.5 million to help attract private broadband investment. Doddridge County Schools later committed another $600,000, bringing the initial local investment to $2.1 million.
Working with the Doddridge County Economic Development Authority, Citynet developed the broadband project and secured more than $12 million in additional federal funding. The effort ultimately grew into an approximately $14 million countywide broadband infrastructure project.
Doddridge County Schools says the network is now substantially complete, with high speed broadband available to most households across the county.
"Reliable internet access is no longer a convenience. It is an essential part of learning, communication, and preparing students for the future," Superintendent Dr. Adam Cheeseman said when the program was announced.
Drew Pomeroy, Citynet's Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales, said the free service represents the next step in the partnership.
"This project represents everything we set out to do when we partnered with Doddridge County back in 2019," Pomeroy said.
Pomeroy said the goal is to make sure students have the internet access they need without families having to worry about the cost.
Enrollment is not automatic. Families must sign up with Citynet, which will verify residency, student enrollment and whether service is available at the home.
For participating households, free service begins after eligibility is confirmed and installation is completed.
The program is currently scheduled to continue through July 31, 2027. Citynet says families will not automatically begin receiving a bill when the program ends. Households would have to choose and authorize a paid Citynet plan before any future charges could begin.
What started as a local effort to bring broadband infrastructure into more of Doddridge County is now providing a direct benefit to families, with full gigabit internet service available at no cost to eligible students and their households.
