FCC Braces for Next Version of Broadband Map to be Released May 30, 2023

The next update to the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Map will be released on May 30, said FCC senior officials. The map will reflect availability data reported by providers as of December 31, 2022, as well as challenges made more recently to that data. It’s an important development, as this is the version of the map that will be used for making allocations to states in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is administering the BEAD program, expects to announce those allotments by the end of June 2023. The commission has sent over four million challenges to broadband providers about reported availability data, the officials said. They did not provide data about the outcome of those challenges.