Mainers seeking internet upgrade tell stories of poor service to highlight feds’ mistakes

Mainers are sharing their stories of poor internet access as part of an effort to get the Federal Communications Commission to update its map to more accurately reflect the inadequacy of internet service in many areas of the country, particularly rural areas. Two consumer-oriented groups, the Rural Assembly and the Broadband Connects America Coalition, are gathering the stories to include in public comments to the FCC. The need for an accurate broadband map is even greater now that so many Mainers are working, studying or seeking health care services from home during the coronavirus pandemic, said one Maine official promoting the effort. Peggy Schaffer, executive director of the ConnectMaine Authority, is particularly interested in having Mainers share stories that fall into two categories: First, locations that the FCC map shows as being served at 25/3 levels (at least 25 megabits per second download and 3 Mbps upload) but in fact are not; and second, those who have a 25/3 connection but it’s proving inadequate when two or more people are at home using the connection. “The FCC doesn’t usually hear a lot of stories about people,” she said. “They get numbers.”