FCC Commissioner Starks Statement on Sixteenth Broadband Deployment Report Notice of Inquiry

As I noted in my dissent from 2019’s Notice of Inquiry, I fundamentally disagree with the approach of comparing broadband providers’ deployment in one year against their deployments in prior years to measure “progress.” I continue to believe this approach gives us little understanding of internet inequality and the ways to combat it.

We also continue to rely on the Federal Communications Commission’s misleading Form 477 data. I am disappointed that, despite broad recognition that Form 477 has distorted our view of the digital divide, the FCC did not develop alternatives in time for 2020’s Notice of Inquiry. As we approach the Broadband DATA Act’s Sept 21, 2020 deadline for new mapping and data rules, the entire FCC should commit to making this the last time we rely on this flawed data set.

Because the proposals in this Notice of Inquiry are likely to produce yet another report that misrepresents internet inequality in the US, I respectfully dissent.