The FCC's update on new broadband maps and lingering concerns about changes to methodology and public access

The Federal Communications Commission has been making admirable progress on its new broadband maps, and recently it opened up its system for internet service providers (ISPs) to input coverage data against the new Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric. Two concerns I've had persist: 1) for all the focus on where ISPs provide broadband service (the numerator), how many people and locations we are trying serve (the denominator) may be a more influential number, and 2) public access to this data in its raw form is important when big changes like this are being made quickly. The amount of change to the federal formula for measuring broadband availability, and potential complications, only make public access to data more important. Congress authorized the FCC to sign a contract with a private company, and presumably the FCC’s contract with CostQuest specifies that they can’t release the raw location data publicly. While the FCC may make a map available to the public with individual locations, they should consider doing more. These are big changes in methodology. Let’s ensure we’re having a public conversation about what’s changing and how.

[Mike Conlow writes about technology, policy, politics, and economics in various combinations in 'Mike's Newsletter'.]