Rural Commenters Claim Flaws in FWA Providers’ Broadband Data; WISPA Responds

The broadband availability data that mobile and fixed wireless providers report to the Federal Communications Commission is flawed, according to several rural broadband organizations. The organizations offered this view in comments filed with the FCC about the commission’s broadband data collection (BDC) challenge process. It’s an important issue because eligibility for broadband funding in many rural areas depends on the accuracy of the FCC data, which is used to produce the National Broadband Map. According to NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, “factors critical to assessing fixed wireless providers’ ability to meet claimed service levels are often not available for Commission or challenger review under current BDC filing specifications.” NTCA suggests that the Commission standardize the data reporting specifications to all fixed wireless submissions, whether made via shapefiles or via lists of broadband serviceable locations. NRECA, in its comments, noted that it has assisted its members in filing challenges to more than 266,000 locations. Like NTCA, it sees inaccuracies in coverage data creeping in because of flaws in wireless ISP reporting. The Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA) offered a rebuttal to the suggestion that the commission require propagation models for FWA coverage submitted in address form.