Broadband DATA Act: A Step Forward, but Doesn’t Go Far Enough to Solve FCC Data Problems

The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill, the Broadband DATA Act, aimed at improving the Federal Communications Commission’s data collection process for broadband mapping. Since the bill has already passed the Senate, but will return due to procedural reasons, we will likely see the Senate pass this bill soon and then send it to the President’s desk for a signature. The bill reflects bipartisan agreement that we need more accurate broadband maps, and Public Knowledge supports legislation to fix inaccurate mapping. However, this legislation does not go far enough in requiring Internet service providers to report granular data. If Congress requires ISPs to provide better and more transparent data, many of the broadband mapping issues will diminish. The government currently does not have the information it needs regarding broadband services, but ISPs do. This bill is a missed opportunity by Congress to pass much stronger legislation for consumers.