FCC Continues To Work On Rural Broadband Picture
The FCC is working on putting together an accurate picture of the broadband shortages in rural America. The agency says it needs some help with data collection, and they’re turning to the residents of rural America.
“We have an app that can be downloaded on consumer mobile devices, they are for iPhones or Android devices or tablets, to measure the speed that their broadband service is coming over," noted Jean Kiddoo, Chair of the FCC’s Broadband Data Task Force. "And the app measures two different kinds of mobile services; first, it measures cellular service, which is the service you use when you’re away from home, and we also have a function on it that enables the user to measure his or her Wi-Fi service at home.”
Once the app is on a mobile device and open, push the button that says, “test mobile device.” Once initiated, Kiddoo said the test won’t take long.
“It takes 15-20 seconds to test both download and upload speeds, and latency and other measurements of broadband service. You do have to take a look to see if you’re at home and set to measure your Wi-Fi or you’re measuring your mobile broadband provided device like your telephone broadband service. There is that setting you can change. The information, first and foremost, is for their benefit to determine whether or not they’re getting the speeds that their provider has indicated that they’re paying for. Obviously, that’s an important question for users.”
So, what will the agency do with all of that collected data?
"The FCC takes the data on an anonymous basis and puts it into a report that we do periodically about broadband service and what’s available and where it’s available. But more importantly, we are engaged in a longer-term project right now. A very important one that is going to be building a brand-new and improved data collection, where we are going to be collecting the mobile broadband and the fixed broadband service information from all providers across the country and putting it onto maps and allowing users and state and local governments to review that information and to challenge it, to make sure that we have the best possible information available as to where broadband is and where it’s not, and at what speeds it’s available.”
Kiddoo noted the ultimate goal is to fill the gaps in broadband service across rural America.
“There are many ways that we want to be sure that all Americans across the country, both rural and urban areas, have access to high-speed mobile broadband service. It’s become more and more important, especially during this pandemic, when users are at home, having to do homeschooling, working from home, operating their businesses from home, so broadband is more of a lifeline-type service at this point. And so, it’s important to us that we make sure that we get it deployed to areas that need it, and there are a number of both federal, state, and local funding processes that rely on good solid information, and we want to make sure that information is as accurate as we can get it for those funding efforts.”
Consumers can find more information and make their voices heard on broadband at the FCC's website.
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