FCC Takes Steps to Update Broadband Data Collection Processes

Starting in February 2021, the Federal Communications Commission embarked upon an agency-wide effort to implement a new Broadband Data Collection (BDC). The BDC is a fundamental change from the FCC’s prior efforts to collect broadband data. As required by Congress in the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, the Commission’s rules now require that fixed broadband service providers report broadband availability on a location-by-location basis, and that mobile wireless broadband service providers report their coverage areas using standardized propagation modeling parameters. The BDC also includes—for the first time—mechanisms for entities and individuals to challenge the data on the FCC’s new National Broadband Map (NBM), as well as requirements for the Commission to verify and audit data submitted through the new collection. in this Fourth Report and Order, the FCC adopts rules to codify the challenge process deadline required by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), as well as provide a specific delegation of authority to the Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA), in coordination with certain other bureaus and offices, to conduct audits of broadband data submitted by providers as required under the Broadband DATA Act. The FCC also makes ministerial edits to the existing rules to reference the Broadband Data Collection or BDC.