Congratulations to all the states, NTIA, and FCC on the allocation of broadband funds
...And new spreadsheet with the allocations, and soon new FCC data
I get asked a lot what I think of the FCC Broadband Map and the NTIA’s allocation of the $42.5 billion in broadband funding from the Infrastructure Bill. Here’s what I think: this has been a fair process and a fair outcome. As far as I’m aware, no state has cause to be very upset. I highly doubt we’ll see lawsuits and angry Senators yelling at FCC and NTIA officials. After a lot of work (with a lot more to do) the FCC and NTIA deserve a lot of credit for getting us to this point.
In particular I want to highlight Michigan. The day after the “new map” was published, I highlighted that things looked unfair in Michigan. Their allocation dropped $416 million from my previous estimates, due largely to two fixed wireless providers significantly increasing their coverage area. I don’t know exact details of what transpired. I suspect many phone calls were made. Many conversations were had. And their allocation is up $141 million to $1.56 billion. That’s more equitable.
I’ve updated my spreadsheet with the official allocation, and shortly I’ll update it with distribution of Unserved and Underserved locations by state and county, according to the update of the FCC map posted this morning, with data as of June 15th.
I also want to again highlight the progress that was made in this map on reigning in cellular and fixed wireless coverage claims that would have seriously distorted the allocation. The problem isn’t gone, but it’s much better. Challenges by consumers and states don’t explain all the locations that are now more accurately categorized as Unserved in the new map. I suspect there was work behind the scenes to clean up those filings.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who has worked so hard on getting us to this point. I suspect after a little time to digest these allocations, we’ll all soon be talking about how to reach all the Unserved and Unserved with this funding.
Mike, With all due respect to you and many others who have been analyzing the FCC Broadband Map data, State Broadband Mapping Data etc. I just don't know how you are able to work in an environment where there is NO DATA TRANSPARENCY and NO STANDARDIZATION WHAT SO EVER in the Broadband Marketplace you say you are analyzing! The ISPs use different speed testing apps and they ping off of their own servers placed conveniently well inside their networks and they use data prioritization and they use different network monitoring devices, the list goes on and on!
You and your peers are analyzing a mountain of trash data and all the Hocus Pocus in the world will not was this data clean sufficiently to be analyzed and I suspect you know this.