Data & Mapping

On June 30, the issues of our statewide digital divide were illustrated with the release of the Georgia Broadband Availability map. This mapping initiative is a key component of our strategic purpose. Our ongoing partnership with the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) and Carl Vinson Institute of Government affords us the opportunity to illustrate statewide challenges to internet access and provide key stakeholders a tool with enhanced precision to make data-driven decisions. This tool, the first of its kind, reflects more than 5 million locations in all 159 counties.

The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules for the improved collection and mapping of broadband availability data through the Digital Opportunity Data Collection that will better identify connectivity gaps across the country and help advance the FCC’s ongoing efforts to close the digital divide. The FCC is also seeking comment on proposals to ensure the accuracy of the new broadband coverage maps by creating multiple paths for consumers, along with state, local, and Tribal governments and other entities, to provide feedback on the maps directly to the FCC.

NTIA’s National Broadband Availability Map (NBAM) reached a 20 state milestone with the addition of Wyoming and Washington State. The NBAM is a geographic information system platform which allows for the visualization and analysis of federal, state, and commercially available data sets. This includes data from the Federal Communications Commission, US Census Bureau, Universal Service Administrative Company, US Department of Agriculture, Ookla, Measurement Lab, and the state governments.

 House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) said that a lot of broadband internet access service providers, "for whatever reason," claim they have service where they don't, something he said everyone knows "has been going on for years." He said that since Democrats and Republicans agree that broadband maps aren't good, the Federal Communications Commission would just be throwing $20 million out the window by starting to give out most of the Rural Development Opportunities Fund (RDOF) subsidy money.

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.