News

Improving the FCC Maps

December 29, 2022 /

MATR Sponsor (view all)

TOMIS is the Tour and Activity Industry's only one-stop shop for all things digital marketing.

Greetings from the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA)! I am excited to continue working with you all on expanding broadband/internet access across Montana and beyond from my newish role at NTIA. Please share the below information with your networks and colleagues regarding the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) first version of the National Broadband Map and open challenge process. I have also linked helpful consumer focused handouts that are easy to share via email and social media. Look for an email invite from me in mid-January for a virtual event on NTIA’s new broadband programs and how you can get involved.

Happy New Year -Robyn

Robyn Madison

Regional Director, Northern Plains (CO, WY, MT, ND, SD, NE, KS, IA)

Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth (OICG)

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

U.S. Department of Commerce

[email protected] | mobile (202) 597-4353

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) appropriated $65 billion to support closing the digital divide. NTIA will administer a portion of the IIJA funding under multiple programs including the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program (see attached pdf). The BEAD program will allocate funds to all 50 states and territories by a formula derived from the FCC’s new broadband maps data. As we begin planning for historic infrastructure investments it is important that everyone has a chance to participate in the new mapping challenge and identify where service is and is not which will inform broadband investments. While the FCC will review challenges filed at any time, the best opportunity for challenges to be reviewed in time for NTIA’s planned funding time frame is January 13, 2023.

***********************************

Do You Really Have the Broadband the FCC Thinks You Have?

Billions of dollars in funding will be administered based on the FCC’s broadband availability map. Is it right? Check your own address and see.

New FCC Broadband Map of the U.S. Is ‘A Step in the Right Direction’

Experts say while the map is an improvement for future money allocation, some issues persist.

New Resource: How to Submit Challenges to the FCC Broadband Map

With good reason, many are confused about the information shown in the map, the challenge process, and why we should care about helping the FCC make corrections.

***********************************

Find Out What Internet Services Are Available in Your Area at https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home (or see attached updated BDC infographic poster)

Search for your address on the map. If you don’t have an address, you can enter a town name and state, or select “Location” underneath the search bar on the home page. The map allows you to pan and zoom to find a particular location.

How to Help Improve the Map

You can help the FCC improve the data on the National Broadband Map by submitting a challenge or requesting a correction, in one of the following ways:

Availability Challenges: If the information about the internet services available at your home or other location is incorrect, you can dispute it by clicking on the Availability Challenge link on the righthand side of the map and submitting the form.
Mobile Availability Challenges: If you are not receiving the mobile coverage shown for your provider on the map, you can dispute that information by taking outdoor or in-vehicle speed tests on your mobile device with the FCC’s Speed Test App, available for both Android and iOS. Make sure to select the app’s Challenge speed test option and to take the tests while either outdoors or in a vehicle; do not take the tests indoors.
Location Challenges: If the information on the map about the location point of your home or small business seems to be is incorrect or missing, you can submit a Location Challenge to correct or add the location. The link to do this is to the right of the address on the map.
More information go to http://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/consumers

Key Dates To Be Aware Of:

November 18, 2022	FCC releases draft National Broadband Map, a location-by-location view of high-speed Internet availability in America
November 18, 2022 – January 13, 2023	Best opportunity for eligible entities to submit challenges in time for the FCC to include corrections in the final version of the map to be used to allocate Internet for All funding in the summer of 2023*
June 30, 2023	NTIA plans to announce BEAD allocations based on the most up-to-date version of the FCC Broadband maps as a guide.

*challenges will be accepted after this window, but may not inform BEAD funding allocations.

More information for consumers:

Fact Sheet – BDC Maps 11.16.22 (fcc.gov)

How to Use the FCC’s National Broadband Map – BDC Help Center

Learn more about Montana’s State Broadband Office at https://connectmt.mt.gov