FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel circulated with her colleagues this week an Order and Declaratory Ruling that updates the Commission’s biannual data collection and audit processes. It also proposes additional updates to the agency’s verification processes for its National Broadband Maps.
The maps display specific coverage information about broadband services available throughout the country. The agency calls it “a significant improvement” from the census block level data previously collected. Accurate maps are an important resource for targeting funding and other efforts to bring broadband to unserved and underserved communities.
The agency has been updating the maps every six months as directed by Congress as part of the Broadband DATA Act. The fourth version of the maps was released on May 21. The Commission continues to make iterative improvements to its data collection, audit, verification and validation processes to ensure the maps are as accurate as possible.
The circulated item:
- Clarifies and strengthens agency audit procedures to ensure that the Commission can better validate service providers’ availability data;
- Creates a process that better accounts for changes in network deployments over time while protecting the integrity of the availability data and results of challenges; and
- Proposes modifications to data collection requirements based upon lessons learned, as well as enhancements to agency data validation processes in order to continue to improve the precision of the underlying Broadband Serviceable Locations Fabric and broadband availability data.
By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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