FCC unveils system for its Broadband Data Collection

The Federal Communications Commission on June 29, 2022, released a complete tutorial for filers in the Broadband Data Collection system in a webinar.

Broadband providers, third parties, and government entities will submit broadband coverage information into the system. This data will be aggregated into a comprehensive coverage map that federal grant programs will use to help funnel federal dollars where broadband infrastructure is needed.

The filing system opens for filing on June 30, 2022, but early access has been available a week prior for users to register their entities and become familiar with the system. 

Upon beginning the filing process, entities will complete four steps for their data to be aggregated into the FCC maps.

The first is subscription where service providers will provide data on mobile and fixed broadband subscription. This step will not be completed by government agencies. 

The second step is availability and supporting data where entities will provide the FCC with broadband availability data. Each technology included in the submission will require supporting data which differs for each technology but may include sections such as “propagation modeling information” and “link budget information.”

The third step is final data checks to analyze the data for any abnormalities or inconsistencies. This step serves as a safeguard to prevent any inaccurate data from being accepted by the BDC system. Every warning flagged by the system will require a full explanation to the FCC team before proceeding to the final step.

The fourth and final step is certification.  This step clarifies that the entity confirms the accuracy of the data and allows entities to require confidentiality for submitted data. This step confirms the submission and the FCC will then review the data. 

All submissions should be completed by September 1 and questions can be submitted via the FCC website.