Officials in Harrisburg are asking all Pennsylvanians to review the accuracy of a recently published FCC broadband access map that looks to determine where federal funding for internet infrastructure improvements should be directed.
The deadline to submit any challenges to the current map is Jan. 13.
As a pre-production draft, the national broadband map aims to show the home and business locations where broadband internet services are available across the country. The FCC has collected this information from internet service providers, though the public is welcome to challenge any potential discrepancies.
"We need all Pennsylvanians to review the FCC’s broadband access map and, if necessary, submit their challenge by the Jan. 13 deadline so the commonwealth receives enough federal funding to expand broadband access," Brandon Carson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority, said in a prepared statement. "Making sure Pennsylvania has an accurate map is absolutely crucial to helping us close the digital divide."
The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority is tasked with overseeing $100 million in federal funding to orchestrate the rollout of new broadband service across the commonwealth. It's hosting one final listening session about how to submit a claim on Jan. 12 and in-person during the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Farm Show Complex & Expo Center in Harrisburg or virtually online.
According to officials, these are the types of challenges to the map that can be submitted:
- A location that meets the FCC’s definition of a broadband serviceable location is missing from the map
- A location’s broadband serviceability is incorrectly identified
- Information such as the address or unit count for the location is incorrect
- The location’s placement (its geographic coordinates) is incorrect
Broadband service is generally defined as any high-speed internet access that maintains a constant connection and at speeds that are faster than those associated with dial-up service access.
