Senators Urge the FCC to Listen to State & Local Input on Broadband Buildout

In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a group of senators urged the FCC to ensure that state, local, and tribal governments are included in efforts to update nationwide broadband maps. Following decades-long use of inaccurate data maps that denied broadband funding to eligible communities, the FCC was charged by Congress with creating new maps in 2020 to accurately depict the current state of broadband access in our nation. These maps are a crucial tool in the FCC’s work to expand broadband to underserved and unserved communities across the country, and accurate mapping will help ensure that federal funds reach the areas that need it most. Incorporating feedback from state, local, and tribal governments will provide the FCC with more accurate, reliable, and up-to-date data.

The letter was signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Angus King (I-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Patty Murray (D-WA).