Comcast Pushes Shapefile Broadband Mapping Approach

Comcast met with Federal Communications Commission officials the week of June 24 to urge them to adopt NCTA-The Internet & Television Association's proposal to use polygon shapefiles to more accurately map broadband deployment, including where service could be lit up in a matter of days (which Comcast argues should count as served). In their meeting with FCC officials, the Comcast executives made the point that the shapefiles mapping approach would be more granular than census block, saying shapefiles "accurately reflect coverage in partially served census blocks that may not be depicted correctly in the current broadband map." Comcast also pointed out that the NCTA method would identify as served locations "to which a service provider could provide service within 7 to 10 business days without any heavy lifting." That was a point NCTA made in its proposal, saying that “any revision to the reporting requirements should make clear that areas where a provider can respond to a request for service in a standard installation interval without special construction charges should be reported as served.”