With billions of dollars on the line, East Texans say a crucial state map incorrectly shows they already have broadband

Thousands of East Texans are part of a petition challenging the accuracy of the Texas Broadband Development Map that shows internet availability and speeds across the state.  A disproportionate number of Texans without broadband are in rural areas such as Deep East Texas, where a low population density makes it less profitable for companies to establish broadband infrastructure. According to the state map, the vast majority of Texans already have access to broadband — defined as high-speed internet that delivers download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second, or Mbps, and upload speeds of at least 3 Mbps. But in East Texas, the petitioners say, broadband access is unreliable. Two East Texas lawmakers have filed bills that also would expand who is eligible to receive grant funding from the state’s broadband development office. If passed, much of East Texas could qualify for funding. In their petition to the state broadband development office, which is tasked with expanding broadband access to underserved areas of the state, the Deep East Texas Council of Governments said their 11-county region, which includes about 350,000 residents, is “chronically unserved” when it comes to broadband. The council also submitted its own challenge to the Federal Communications Commission after finding that 27% of East Texans the council interviewed could not find their home on the federal map.