Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re:    	Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection, Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program; WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10 Fourth Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 

We are building a digital future that works for everyone.  To do this, we need to have accurate data that makes clear where broadband is and is not available nationwide.  
Over the last three years, the Federal Communications Commission has worked diligently to implement the Broadband DATA Act.  As a result, we now have the most granular information regarding broadband availability in our history.  In the past, the agency simply collected data on a census block basis, and if a single household was served in a block we assumed that service was available throughout.  This system overstated deployment and made it difficult to discern what places were truly unserved and underserved.  That is no longer the case because using the authority in this law we now collect data about where broadband is available on a location-by-location basis and publicly disclose it on the National Broadband Map.  Then, state, local, and Tribal governments, as well as consumers and other interested stakeholders with boots-on-the ground knowledge about service in their communities can challenge this data and we regularly update the information we have on the map to reflect these challenges.  On top of this, the Commission conducts its own verification and audits of the data to ensure accuracy.  
Thanks to this iterative process, the map is always improving.  Moreover, since this effort began we have learned some important lessons and see opportunities for improvement going forward.  That is why in this rulemaking we seek comment on a variety of changes we can make to our process to make it more user friendly and more precise.  We also take important steps to strengthen our audit and verification processes.  In the end, we strive to have even more accurate data to inform our work to build a digital future that works for everyone and connect us all with high-speed broadband.
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