As Stakeholders Rush to File Broadband Availability Challenges, Is It Already Too Late for Location Challenges?

January 13, 2023 was the date set by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for challenges to be made to the National Broadband Map, which will be used to determine how much money goes to each state in the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) rural broadband funding program. But the deadline only applies to one of two types of challenges that can be made to the map. The two types of challenges are broadband availability challenges (whether a location can get broadband) and broadband serviceable location challenges (whether an address or geocoordinates for an address are correct, whether addresses are missing, etc.). Where does that leave location challenges? The current version of the broadband serviceable location database is the one that will be used in determining BEAD allocations by state, said Charles Meisch, NTIA public affairs director. He said the location database won’t be updated until the next time the FCC collects broadband availability data, though service providers are required to submit broadband data twice yearly based on service availability as of June 30 and December 31 of each year. The data currently being submitted is for December 31, 2022 and is due March 1, and the next time data will be collected will be for availability as of June 30, 2023.