Data & Mapping

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on Thursday, July 16, 2020. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and related agency telework and headquarters access policies, this meeting will be in a wholly electronic format and will be open to the public on the Internet via live feed from the FCC’s web page and on the FCC’s YouTube channel.

Georgia’s Broadband Availability Map is a new tool that will bring more transparency about the internet marketplace and clarify which Georgia households do not have access to high-speed internet.

On April 24, Sens Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, saying, "We must coordinate the voluntary efforts of broadband service providers with the targeted investments of federal, state, and local governments to ensure that efforts are focused on those who need our help the most." They urged Chairman Pai to work with the companies that stepped up to take the Keep Americans Connected Pledge to provide a comprehensive report on the distribution of hotspots by April 27th so we can understand where hotspots have been deployed

On May 1, Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai with 107 speed tests from his constituents noting problems with the FCC's 2020 Broadband Deployment Report which claims 98% of West Virginians have access to fixed broadband or mobile LTE coverage. On June 15, Chairman Pai wrote back saying that implementation of the Broadband DATA Act will help improve broadband deployment data, but Congress needs to appropriate $65 to the FCC to make it happen.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced that the items below are tentatively on the agenda for the July Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 16, 2020:

The US Department of Commerce joined with its government partners to release a Progress Report detailing the accomplishments of the American Broadband Initiative (ABI) after the release of the initial ABI Milestones Report.

The US Government Accountability Office was asked to examine the current state of broadband investment and deployment. This report examines (1) industry and federal investments to deploy broadband in the US since 2009, and (2) efforts federal agencies are making to address deployment challenges.

Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) has been collecting speed tests from his constituents to turn over to the Federal Communication Commission to prove their broadband data maps are wrong. His initial goal of collecting 1,000 speed tests in 2020 was accomplished the week of June 22. He says he's now looking to reach 1,500 or even 2,000. “This just a small sampling,” Sen Manchin said. “This is happening all over America. Rural America is getting left behind.

Items on the Federal Communications Commission's July 2020 agenda:

On June 24, House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) and other House Reps introduced the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act (HR 7302) which invests $100 billion to build high-speed broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved communities and ensure that the resulting internet service is affordable.