Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The FCC, wrangling a first-of-its-kind challenge process, on Tuesday released the most accurate map yet of who in the U.S. has internet access.
Why it matters: The accuracy of the FCC's broadband map will determine how successful the Biden administration and Congress are at achieving their $42 billion goal of ensuring every American has access to affordable, high-speed internet.
- Consumers, states, localities, tribes and others are able to dispute whether the map is accurately depicting the internet service they get.
- This is the first version of the map that reflects those challenges.
Flashback: The FCC's previous practice of creating broadband availability maps based on census blocks led to an overstatement of who had access.
- If there was service in a single location, the agency assumed there was service in the entire block.
- Census block-based maps identified just 8.1 million locations where internet could be installed.
By the numbers: Under today's more granular mapping effort, the FCC has so far identified more than 114 million locations where internet could be installed.
- 330,000 more unserved locations have been identified since the FCC came out with the first iteration of the broadband map in November that had not yet been subject to any challenges.
- More than 75% of the 4 million+ challenges to the map have been resolved, according to the FCC.
What we're watching: The FCC is investigating whether internet providers are exaggerating their coverage after local authorities accused companies of overstating their service and lawmakers applied pressure.
- FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel in a Feb. 3 letter to lawmakers said the agency expects the challenge process will serve as a deterrent to over-reporting.
- "We recognize also that as providers gain familiarity with this system, efforts to intentionally misstate service may be subject to enforcement action. In fact, we already have an investigation underway," Rosenworcel said.
- In addition to the challenge process, the FCC built automated checks in the map system to validate company submissions. Agency staff has initiated hundreds of verification inquiries, resulting in improvements to more than 600 submissions.
- An FCC spokesperson said the agency has swiftly begun enforcement investigations in instances of alleged intentional misrepresentation. While those probes are underway, they have already led to map clarifications.
What they're saying: NTIA said in a blog post that the agency, which is in charge of working with states to implement broadband grants, "is confident that with this data as a baseline, we will be able to effectively allocate funds by the end of June."
What's next: Major updates to the maps will be released twice a year.
- A senior FCC official said the agency welcomes more feedback from consumers and others as it works through the iterative mapping process.
- FCC and Commerce Department officials on Wednesday will brief lawmakers on the map, a source familiar said, adding they expect investigations into internet companies will come up.
