BTOP, FCC and Broadband Subscribership Info

Free Press filed an ex parte offering recommendations on the FCC's consultative role with the NTIA in creating rules for the issuance of broadband grants. Free Press had telephone conversations with Scott Deutchman, Legal Advisor to Commissioner Michael Copps, and Colin Crowell, Legal Advisor to Chairman Julius Genachowski. Free Press believes the FCC has a valuable role to play in assisting both grantees and the NTIA in evaluating whether the unserved and underserved thresholds have been met, especially in providing an index of data at the Census Tract level. Free Press suggests that the FCC immediately explore the feasibility of quickly publishing the raw subscriber counts for all Census Tracts. This information should at a minimum include for each Tract the total number of residential lines, excluding mobile wireless lines, which are classified by the Commission as "Broadband Tier 1 lines."