FCC Publishes Data Specifications for the Broadband Data Collection

On February 22, 2022, the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadband Data Task Force and Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announced the filing dates for the initial Broadband Data Collection (BDC) availability data collection beginning on June 30, 2022.1 Now the Task Force and OEA published data specifications related to the biannual submission of subscription, availability, and supporting data for the Broadband Data Collection (BDC). The specifications are available on the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection website at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/filers. The specifications provide guidance to filers on how to prepare and format availability and other, related data for submission into the BDC system. The Data Specifications for Biannual Submission of Subscription, Availability, and Supporting Data specify how data files required for the BDC must be formatted for submission in the BDC system, which fields the files should contain, and the data type of each field. The specifications pertain to fixed and mobile availability data, supporting data, and subscribership data accepted by the BDC system. Included with the specifications are example data entries and guidance on whether data should be submitted by file upload or web form. Filer data must match the specifications in order to be accepted by the BDC system. The FCC, therefore, encourages the broadband service providers that are required to file in the BDC system, as well as governmental and third parties seeking to submit broadband availability data voluntarily, to review these data specifications closely and align their data to the specifications prior to the opening of the filing window on June 30, 2022, so that they will be prepared to submit their data promptly when the window opens.