Chairwoman Rosenworcel's Response to Members of Congress Regarding Broadband Data Collection

On May 10, 2023, 19 House Members wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel to express concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Broadband Data Collection and asking the FCC to 1) Strengthen outreach to state and local governments on technical assistance to those interested in verifying availability and location data within their jurisdiction on a consistent basis; 2) Elevate public outreach and education opportunities for members of the public who would like to participate in the individual challenge process contained within the Broadband Data Collection process; and 3) Clarify that enforcement action is possible against broadband providers that knowingly misrepresent their service or service areas. In her November 20 reply, Chairwoman Rosenworcel assured the Members that the FCC will continue using all tools available to update and improve the National Broadband Map, including: improvements to the underlying data used to identify broadband serviceable locations, collecting updated broadband availability data every six months, processing challenges to the data shown on the map and validating the data providers are filing. "Given the importance of the challenge process in refining the data depicted on the map and ensuring that the map is as accurate as possible, we have conducted extensive outreach to state, local, and Tribal governmental entities, service providers, and others to inform stakeholders about how they can participate in the process."