HELP WANTED

 

 

arstechnica.com

FCC unveils big update to broadband map—and wants you to help correct errors

by Jon Brodkin - Nov 18, 2022 6:54 pm UTC

3 - 4 minutes

---

Map is better but not perfect—look up your address to see if there are mistakes.

 

"The Federal Communications Commission took two significant steps toward providing US broadband users with more accurate availability and pricing information.

Today, the FCC released the long-awaited National Broadband Map update based on the most detailed data the commission has ever collected from ISPs. There's still plenty of work to do, as this first version will undergo a challenge process to correct errors, and there are indications it will have many inaccuracies.

"The map will display specific location-level information about broadband services available throughout the country—a significant step forward from the census block level data previously collected," an FCC press release said. "This release of the draft map kicks off the public challenge processes that will play a critical role in improving the accuracy of the map."

You can go to the newly updated map site here to search for your home or other addresses and see a list of fixed and mobile providers with the offered speeds. You can use that page to submit challenges of both address or availability information. The FCC also updated its speed test app with an option to use test results to challenge the accuracy of mobile coverage data.

Broadband “nutrition” labels

The other step taken by the FCC came yesterday when the commission adopted rules requiring broadband providers to "display easy-to-understand labels to allow consumers to comparison shop for broadband services." The disclosures are modeled on nutrition labels and look like this:

Enlarge / A broadband "nutrition" label.

The label requirements don't take effect yet. The FCC said it "will announce the effective date of the label after it has completed necessary next steps, including requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act."

These labels have been in the works for years. Under then-Chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC approved rules requiring the use of the labels in 2016. The labels and related rules requiring greater transparency were eliminated under former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, but the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approved by Congress in November 2021 required the FCC to issue new rules mandating the display of the consumer labels.

The FCC adopted the rules yesterday after taking public comment."