Data & Mapping

The Federal Communications Commission issued notices of Citation and Order to eleven broadband providers for failure to file mandatory broadband data. The Broadband DATA Act requires the Commission to collect broadband service availability data twice per year for use in creating coverage maps. The companies that received citations had missed two or more occasions to submit data. The companies are:

The rapid expansion of Power Users (subscribers consuming 1 TB or more per month) and the ongoing surge in upstream traffic are placing significant pressure on broadband network capacity and Quality of Experience (QoE), according to the 2Q24 edition of the OpenVault Broadband Insights (OVBI) report. In the second quarter of 2024, 18.2% of all subscribers fall under the “Power User” category, including Power Users of 1 TB or more, Super Power Users of 2 TB or more, and Extreme Power Users of 5 TB or more.

On August 7, 2024, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released the third funding report showing fiscal year (FY) 2022 data reported by 13 agencies across 70 programs making investments in broadband.

Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr joined Rep John Joyce (R-PA) in Blair County, Pennsylvania, for a roundtable discussion on the Biden-Harris Administration’s $42 billion plan for extending Internet service throughout rural America. Commissioner Carr and Rep Joyce heard directly from a range of stakeholders that want to see new Internet builds in their communities—from healthcare, education, economic, local government, and other leaders to the broadband builders that are ready to get the job done. Commissioner Carr said:

The Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Broadband Access released its fourth annual report. In 2024, the Task Force continued to emphasize its goals established in the 2023 report, which are that:

California is getting more than $1.8 billion in federal grant money to expand high-speed broadband service in areas where residents have little to no access. But advocates say the state is undercounting the true number of residents who lack internet, especially those living in apartment buildings. That could mean dense cities like Los Angeles not getting their fair share.

We should not take our foot off the gas when it comes to the importance of better mapping, considering it’s at the heart of so much in the rural broadband space. Congress charged the Federal Communications Commission in early 2020 with creating a national broadband availability map. It is only fair to say that the national broadband map is better than any broadband availability dataset before it, and that it keeps getting better. But we are in no position to declare “mission accomplished” or even “good enough” when it comes to the national broadband map.

Across six Internet for All grant programs, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is already funding hundreds of individual projects, with hundreds more to come. A new type of data dashboard shows how the public can monitor the progress of construction and implementation related to projects in their area.

The Federal Communications Commission launched its new Mobile Speed Test app which features an enhanced user interface that makes challenging the accuracy of the provider-reported mobile coverage data even easier. The new app replaces the original FCC Speed Test app and is part of the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection program.  It enables users to obtain free, open, and transparent information about the performance of their mobile network.

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced an update to the Interim Eligible Locations list for use in the Enhanced Alternative Connect America Model (Enhanced ACAM) mechanism.  Pursuant to the Enhanced A-CAM Order, the Bureau must provide a final report on the Enhanced A-CAM obligations and support amounts no later than December 31, 2025.  The Interim Eligible Locations file is intended to update to Enhanced A-CAM carriers and other stakeholders regarding the status of locations in Enhanced A-CAM service areas based on currently available data.