New York Governor Kathy Hochul says New York’s ConnectALL Office submitted over 31,000 addresses to the FCC under the Broadband Data Collection challenge process. The federal challenge process allows states to propose changes or updates to the FCC’s broadband maps, to help find areas unserved or underserved by broadband. The maps are critical to inform federal funding decisions concerning broadband access.
“We can no longer afford to treat internet access like a luxury,” Governor Hochul said. “Thanks to our first-of-its-kind broadband mapping tool we have a clearer picture than ever about New York’s broadband needs and we are better able to advocate for federal funding and program support to fill those gaps.” Hochul said she looks forward to a continued partnership with local, state, and federal authorities to make high-speed internet available to all New Yorkers.
Using maps created by the FCC, the Commerce Department is expected to begin disbursing broadband funding to states and territories in late 2023, based largely on the proportion of unserved and underserved homes and businesses in each state. The FCC issued a “map fabric” that is meant to include all addresses in the country. The agency shared that with all states and other stakeholders so they could challenge and improve the results, Inside Towers reported.
The challenge was made possible due to New York’s first interactive broadband map launched earlier this year. It contains detailed information of the state’s broadband infrastructure down to the street-level. ConnectALL will continue to analyze the FCC maps. The 31,798 records in New York’s challenge are all among the 138,598 addresses identified as unserved or underserved by the Department of Public Service’s (DPS) Broadband Assessment Program. The records include evidence that they meet the FCC’s definition for inclusion in the federal maps. The ConnectALL Office collaborated with DPS and the Office of Information Technology Services to analyze and challenge the FCC maps.
Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “As we look to make broadband more affordable, accessible, and equitable, accurate maps are essential for the proper allocation of federal funding. New York State’s broadband mapping project provides clear and straightforward data on the state’s digital infrastructure and, by aligning the FCC maps with ours, we will ensure New York gets its fair share of federal dollars so every New Yorker has access to the internet when and where they need it.”
Reader Interactions