Determining which rural areas are covered poses a daunting challenge

A consortium led by USTelecom, ITTA, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), and a group of broadband companies have created a new initiative to improve the quality of broadband mapping. The Broadband Mapping Initiative will start with a pilot program in MO and one in my home state of VA. The pilot will aggregate all locations in MO and VA, identify their geolocation, and create a Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric to identify locations that require access to broadband. These pilot projects will result in the most sophisticated and detailed maps of broadband availability for those states. The consortium plans to use tools spawned by the digital revolution, including mapping databases and crowdsourcing platforms, that when combined with existing provider service address information will tell us who has broadband and who does not. It’s hoped that the pilot programs will prove the concept, allowing the Federal Communications Commission and other government agencies to replicate the Broadband Mapping Initiative pilot nationwide.

[Rick Boucher was a member of the US House of Representatives for 28 years and chaired the House Communications Subcommittee. He is honorary chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) and a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of the law firm Sidley Austin.]