An Alternate to the FCC Maps

It’s been easy to criticize the Federal Communications Commission broadband coverage maps since they are still full of errors and fantasy. I don’t foresee the maps getting any better as long as internet service providers (ISPs) can continue to decide what they want to report in terms of broadband coverage and speeds. Too many ISPs have reasons for reporting maps they know are inaccurate, and it’s hard to think that’s going to change. Yet if the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program comes somewhat close to solving the rural broadband gap, the FCC maps will quickly lose relevance. The FCC is always going to need some version of the maps to report to Congress each year on the state of broadband. But when the maps stop being a tool for deciding who gets grant funding, most local and state governments will stop caring about the maps – and nobody is going to much care what ISPs report to the FCC. But I still think the FCC owes it to the public to provide a way to judge and compare the local ISPs. I think the FCC should buy the entire Ookla speed test database every month and make it available to the public in a portal where folks can see the speed tests actually reported for the ISPs working in their neighborhood.