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New FCC Map of Nation's Broadband Coverage Relies on Self-Reporting by Four Major Carriers

At the minimum, at least what got published is not one of those 'Make-Believe' mappings that tries to state they have-it-all covered - there's no attempt to pretend it's got all the complete data consumers need. 

That accountability issue is cleared-up, addressed directly and noted right the start:  "As Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel pointed out on Twitter, it shouldn’t have taken this long for this map to be available. The law requiring that these maps be made, known as the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, was signed in March 2020, and the lack of details about broadband coverage has created confusion about the so-called digital divide for years.

The FCC finally made a new broadband map

of the US

0 New, 38 comments

It’s based on information provided by the four major carriers

By Mitchell Clark Aug 6, 2021, 2:35pm EDT

 

 

Insert copy

The Federal Communications Commission has launched a new map designed to show consumers what kind of cellular coverage they can expect in a given area from AT&T, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon. It’s been a long time coming, and it doesn’t address home internet availability, but it looks like an improvement over the agency’s woefully inadequate and inaccurate past attempts to show gaps in the nation’s broadband coverage.

PLEASE TAKE SOME MORE TIME TO READ ADDITIONAL POINTS:

It’s also worth noting that the map isn’t based on data that the FCC collected or crowdsourced. FCC acting chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a news release that the data was provided by the carriers who don’t have a great reputation for having the most accurate picture of where they do and don’t provide broadband (though the FCC is working on getting a better picture of home internet availability, and The Verge and Consumer Reports are working on examining how cost-effective broadband is). The map also doesn’t address the issue with home internet availability, which has been a long-running concern.

The FCC’s map (left) versus T-Mobile (right, top), AT&T (right, middle), and Verizon’s (right, bottom).

The interactive map lets users select which carrier’s coverage map they want to see, and it provides information about LTE coverage, voice coverage, or both. The FCC says the map is the work of its Broadband Data Task Force. The map is fairly user-friendly; instead of having to flip between T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon’s coverage maps, users can see all of the data in one place, overlaid on top of each other. The map also provides a distinction between data availability and voice availability — which is useful, as being able to make a call and being able to get online are obviously two very different things.

One big thing the map is missing is data about 5G coverage, or really any indicator of what kind of speeds users can expect. In a note about the map’s launch, Rosenworcel says the network has to provide at least 5Mbps down and 1Mbps up to qualify as 4G data coverage. If one carrier provided an area with 100Mbps speeds and another provided 10Mbps speeds, that could be difficult to distinguish on the map.

Data for the map is provided by the carriers

Rosenworcel also admits that this map is only a first step in the FCC’s work to improve the information available to consumers, but it’s an important one. It at least lets consumers know the minimum of what mobile coverage they should expect in a given area and gives them the tools to make more informed decisions about their cellular provider. Hopefully the FCC will be able to have a similar effort to map the availability of home internet connections in the future.

Update August 6th, 5:00PM ET: Clarified that this map doesn’t address home internet availability issues.

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3-Time Utah Governor Mike Leavitt Named Next President of The [Mormon] Tabernacle Choir @ Temple Square

From the seat of the highest elected office to answering a higher calling to speed-the-faith all around the world. Gosh that sounds great until there was this article about LDS Media altering appearances - No doubt 'a revelation' and visual testimony that appeared and was published in BARE RECORD OF TRUTH https://barerecord.blogspot.com/ Saturday, August 7, 2021

"Social media pressures us to look our best when we post photos. Photoshopping pictures before posting them on a social media has become a common thing among teenagers and even celebrities. Phone apps have been created to easily make you look better than you really are. While this innocent action might seem like a simple wish to enhance a look and appear our very best....let's just call it what it is.. VANITY.

__________________________________

VANITY

Excessive attention in or admiration of one's own appearance or attractiveness to others

__________________________________

Some of the enhancements that people do to their appearance is to give themselves:

• Flawless and smooth skin
• Whiten teeth
• No more wrinkles or blemishes
• Removed age spots
• Contoured/adjusted facial features
• Enhanced eye color

While we might think this is just a fad with the self absorbed generation with cellphones, it might surprise you who else used photoshop techniques to improve their photograph portraits.

Bishop Gérald Caussé, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. announced last week that our three-term Utah governor, Mike Leavitt will become the next president of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square starting one Aug. 26.

For the media announcement, the Church posted a newly taken 2021 photograph of Leavitt with photo copyright to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I was surprised at how much the promotional photographed had been photoshopped. No wrinkles, no sagging under the chin, no age spots.

Here is the link to news story where the photo was published.  LINK HERE

 

If there is any doubt that the photo has been altered by the Church, here is side by side comparison with a photo that was taken of Mike Leavitt many years ago. LINK HERE.

The photo on the right was taken no sooner than in 2017.

The photo on the left was just recently taken for the Church with obvious techniques to make him look younger and better. (or at the very least, heavy amounts of makeup) Some might even say that it almost doesn't even look like the same man.