A range of industry groups told a congressional subcommittee on Sept. 11 that granularity and validation of coverage data should be provisions that Congress prioritizes as it considers legislation to improve the nation's broadband maps.
The comments came at a legislative hearing hosted by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, where the committee considered five different bills to improve broadband maps. They also heard feedback from wireline and wireless trade groups, among other witnesses, on possible solutions but did not vote on any proposals.
All facilities-based broadband providers are required to file coverage information twice a year through a Form 477 to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, listing all census blocks where they offer internet access service at speeds that exceed 200 Kbps. Critics of the approach note that the FCC's format for submitting information requires providers to report census blocks as "served" even if just one household in a given block meets the criteria. The FCC uses coverage maps to target where best to direct federal subsidies to help connect unserved areas.
In August, the FCC took steps to improve its broadband maps and move away from a reliance on census-block data by approving a report and order establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection, which will collect "geospatial broadband coverage maps," from fixed broadband providers.
However, due to an ongoing investigation into previous maps submitted by mobile carriers, the order only applies to fixed broadband providers for the time being. The order also includes a process to crowdsource public input on the accuracy of broadband maps submitted by service providers.
Shirley Bloomfield, CEO of NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association, a trade group representing nearly 850 independent and community-based telecommunications companies, said in prepared testimony that Congress should provide "vital guidance and direction" to the FCC on how to proceed next.
Specifically, she expressed support for a bill, known as the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act, or DATA Act, because she believes it would improve granularity in reporting requirements and help verify the accuracy of the data.
The bill would, in part, mandate that the FCC collect more granular coverage data from wired, fixed wireless and satellite broadband providers. It would also create a process for consumers and local governments to challenge FCC maps with independent data.
Jonathan Spalter — CEO of the trade group USTelecom, whose members include AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and CenturyLink Inc. — expressed support for the same bill, in addition to another bipartisan bill, known as the Mapping Accuracy Promotes Services Act, that would make it illegal to "willfully, knowingly, or recklessly" provide inaccurate broadband data to the FCC.
Both pieces of legislation were also endorsed by Dana Floberg, policy manager at media advocacy group Free Press, though Floberg said the bills are only a "stepping stone" toward bridging the digital divide. Earlier this year, Free Press found that in forms submitted to the FCC, smaller broadband provider BarrierFree claimed its coverage area included every single census block in each of the eight states in which the company claimed service. BarrierFree executives subsequently confirmed that the company had made a mistake in its filings.
A cable industry representative expressed support for a different bill that would emphasize granularity and verification. James Assey, executive vice president at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, an industry group that represents major cable operators such as Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc., said in prepared testimony that a bill known as the Broadband Data Improvement Act would make a constructive improvement on broadband mapping data by adding a "three-pronged data validation process."
That process would employ a range of practices to validate mapping data, including in-person field validation, public feedback and analysis of third-party data sets.
