With a January deadline looming, officials in Texas are lobbying for an extension, claiming that the broadband coverage map released by the FCC is inaccurate. As The Texas Tribune reports, there are concerns that Texas will lose out on obtaining its share of the approximately $42 billion in federal funds that is being distributed to improve broadband outreach.
According to Texas State Comptroller Glenn Hegar, many mapped areas show adequate digital coverage when the areas are actually measurably underserved.
“This is clearly a flawed map,” stated Hegar. “Some of the responsibility lies with the service providers who are overstating the coverage they provide in their territories. This practice has become so routine that we often don’t notice it, but it will substantially limit competition as well as our ability to accurately allocate resources to those Texans whose access is inadequate.”
Although state residents are encouraged to review the map and weigh in, some find themselves caught in Catch-22 situations. For residents who have no digital service, logging in to report a lack of service presents a problem, notes the Texas Tribune.
“How can I go online to challenge the map if I don’t have access to the map?” asked Executive Director Lonnie Hunt of the Deep East Texas Council of Governments. The source adds that Hunt is a longtime champion of rural internet infrastructure. “Once again, it’s kind of an example where the people who need it the most are least equipped to challenge it.”
“The process to challenge the maps is not simple or easy, and our local communities just do not have the capacity to take that on,” Hunt added. “We are trying to marshal resources to provide a challenge, but we need more time and, honestly, we need the state to take the lead.”
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