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The Federal Communications Commission has collected precise broadband availability information from Internet service providers for the first time and aims to release a first draft of a new broadband map in November, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel wrote Friday.
The FCC last week “completed the first filing window for submitting data on where broadband service is and is not available,” a milestone in the years-long process of creating an accurate US broadband map, she wrote. “For the first time ever, we have collected extensive location-by-location data on precisely where broadband services are available, and now we are ready to get to work and start developing new and improved broadband maps.”
The resulting map should show whether fixed broadband service is available at each residence or business location. The FCC’s inaccurate broadband maps have long made it difficult to distribute deployment grants where they’re needed most.
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