The day of mourning for former President H.W. Bush will occur just two days before Congress must pass a spending bill to keep the federal government operating. If a new bill appropriations bill does not get passed, the government will face a shutdown.
Bipartisan interest is growing on the Hill in using that appropriations measure to force the FCC to review the accuracy of its data for the broadband maps. Sen. Roger Wicker, the likely incoming chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee in 2019, is behind the effort, reports Politico. He called the FCC’s broadband coverage maps “fatally flawed.”
Inside Towers reported the accuracy of the maps, which note where broadband exists and doesn’t, are key to determining eligibility for what areas and what carriers can apply for broadband subsidies. The deadline to challenge the maps was extended to November 28.
Still, attaching an amendment to the funding measure could still be difficult. Government funding expires December 7, which doesn’t give Wicker and his allies, like Jon Tester (D-MT), much time. Either way, Wicker plans to stay focused on his FCC frustrations as Commerce chair: “I would want to look at a way to get an accurate measurement so that we can distribute $4.5 billion in a way that’s meaningful.”
December 4, 2018
