What is BroadbandFabric Location Data?

CostQuest’s BroadbandFabric Location Data is a database of over 114 million individual location structures where a broadband connection is or can be installed. CostQuest refers to these locations as “Broadband Serviceable Locations.” CostQuest first captures the structure on each parcel of land, identifies the exact coordinates, ties an address, and adds additional information per location. CostQuest’s Broadband Serviceable Locations include residential, business, multi-dwelling units, CAI, agricultural, and other location types. This dataset ties easily with other datasets using a universal location ID. It is aligned with the FCC’s Broadband Serviceable Location dataset used for the Broadband Data Collection, National Broadband Map, and federal funding programs.

CostQuest’s BroadbandFabric Location Data


The BroadbandFabric Location dataset comes in an Excel .CSV file format and can be imported into any major GIS application, visualization software, network planning tool, SQL, or other related applications. Built by broadband experts and blended with machine learning, the Broadband Serviceable Locations dataset it built to be the perfect guide for broadband deployment planning, policy, regulation, and funding distribution decisions. With this data, you have the option to build a broadband map, fill customer database gaps, identify expansion opportunities,  fulfill reporting requirements, qualify locations, inform sales and marketing initiatives, network plan, and design networks with precise location data built to inform these initiatives intelligently.   

CostQuest BroadbandFabric - Broadband Serviceable Locations
An example a Census Block with Broadband Serviceable Locations from CostQuest's BroadbandFabric data
Two hands pointing at a computer screen as they leverage BroadbandFabric data for broadband planning

STRONG FOUNDATION OF ROOFTOP LEVEL LOCATION DATA TO SHOW USER LOCATIONS

The Broadband Serviceable Locations dataset contains the exact coordinates of all structures where a broadband connection is or can be installed, and provides you with the level of granularity needed to identify the exact geographic locations of end-user Broadband Serviceable Locations.

Reliable information for effective decisions & successful planning

To make intelligent and effective decisions, it’s critical to have reliable information that guides you in the right direction. The Broadband Serviceable Locations dataset provides you with the precise coordinates, address, building type, and more for each location, to act as a reliable location data resource for data-driven decisions.

BUILT BY BROADBAND & DATA SCIENCE EXPERTS YOU CAN RELY ON

Congress, federal agencies, service providers, and other organizations in the telecom industry, rely on CostQuest’s models and expertise to inform critical broadband initiatives and reform policies related to broadband deployment and data collection. CostQuest’s granular geospatial BroadbandFabric data supports the Broadband Data Collection, National Broadband Map, and broadband funding programs. CostQuest’s work is reviewed regularly by government agencies, service providers, supporting organizations, and consumers to ensure the work is foundationally sound.

How CostQuest identifies Broadband Serviceable Locations

To get pinpoint accuracy for all locations, CostQuest categorizes as Broadband Serviceable Locations; the team aggregates hundreds of millions of data points, applies statistical scoring, and managed crowdsourcing to identify the precise locations of virtually every structure that is a candidate for broadband.

Step 1: Start with a Geographic Frame of Reference

When looking for Broadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs), CostQuest starts by obtaining rich geospatial information across all 50 states and territories to create a geographic frame of reference to start the analysis. CostQuest uses parcel information to create the geographic frame of reference, or the “sandbox” to work from, to provide boundaries of where to look for a structure/building within a piece of geography. CostQuest then ties in additional data sources to further the team’s understanding of the land and building use within each geographic frame.

The red lines represent geographic frames of reference a.ka. parcel boundaries.

Step 2: Link County Tax Assessor Information

County Tax Assessor attributes provide more details about a piece of geography – what it is used for, the address, the value of the property and any building on it, and more. By analyzing the tax attributes of each geographic frame of reference, CostQuest can isolate characteristics at a location level. Statistical scoring is used to systematically consider each attribute to answer a question: is this piece of geography likely to contain a structure that may require broadband service or a technical term CostQuest calls a Fabric Active structure?

Step 3: Connect Geographic Frames and Tax Assessor Information with Building Footprints

CostQuest then uses building footprints to look at all the possible buildings within each geographic frame of reference. These footprints give CostQuest the geospatial coordinates of each structure on that individual piece of property.

What CostQuest derives from the tax assessor attributes is then compared to what is seen in the building footprints. Rooftop detail, size, and building shape help us determine which building is the likely point where broadband service will be accessed. The structures are visually identified and assessed for confidence.

The red-shaded shapes above each location structure represent the building footprint.

Step 4: Connect other data sources

A. CostQuests connects additional data sources using a universal location identifier tied to each Broadband Serviceable Location to help inform the model as to which location structures are candidates for broadband. The data sources are updated semi-annually. All the data sources include:

  • Parcels​
  • Satellite Imagery ​
  • Commercial building footprints​
  • Tax Attributes​
  • Address datasets​
  • Road Segments​
  • US Census

B. More data can be linked to the locations to learn more about specific areas of interest. For example, broadband service availability, deployment cost information, federally funded locations, build complexity, demographics, and the competitive landscape.

Step 5: Identify Broadband Serviceable Locations

Final Result: Using conditional logic, CostQuest sets rules that connect building footprints from aerial imagery, tax attributes, road segments, U.S. Census, parcels, addresses, land cover data, and more to pinpoint and display the precise coordinates of each Broadband Serviceable Location (structure) that is the likely point where broadband service will be accessed.

The circled locations with a green dot represent the identified Broadband Serviceable Location in each geographic frame of reference.

Step 6: Human Visual Verification

Visual verification is an internal process CostQuest uses to have human beings review locations that our models aren’t confident in. This step is critical in adding human oversight to improve machine learning in selecting the appropriate location structure within a geographic frame.

The circled locations with a green dot and check represent the identified and visually verified Broadband Serviceable Location in each geographic frame of reference.

a location with broadband service

What data is included in this dataset?

The BroadbandFabric Location dataset comes in an Excel .CSV file format for easy import into any major GIS, visualization software, network planning tool, SQL, or related applications. Data is available for every U.S. state, county, and territory. In the table below, “x” indicates which data fields are included in the Broadband Serviceable Location data suite package.

BroadbandFabric Data SuiteBroadband Serviceable Locations (BSLs)BDC-BSL FlagH3 Location IDsBuilding Type: Residence, Business, Community, Agriculture, etc.Community Anchor InstitutionsAddressesUnit CountHUBB USAC Locations BDC Landscape (service availability + carrier information)Federally Funded AreasBuild Complexity ScoringFiber Cost ModelFixed Wireless Cost Model5G Cost Model (in development)Fiber Business CaseResidential & Business Demand and Demographics
(US Census 2020)
Fiber Adoption & Take Rate EstimationNetwork Auto Design
Locationxxxxxxx*x*CUSTOM BUILT*CUSTOM BUILT
* Data you can add-on (not included in general data suite purchase)

Custom data you can add on

Custom Fiber Business Case Data

The custom Fiber Business Case data provides users with comprehensive financial data that provides accurate cost estimates and revenue projections for broadband professionals to precisely understand the full market opportunity for deploying a typical Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) network buildout to a defined service area, the success-based capital needed, Net Present Value, identify where funding is most required, and the cost to maintain the network business over time.

  • This data provides users with a full Fiber Business Case for a custom geographic area.
  • Users indicate their defined service area, and we will deliver custom Business Case data for that area.
  • The full Business Case includes the cost to maintain the business over time, plus an estimate of demand and revenue, and success-based capital.
  • The custom Business Case data also provides the Net Present Value look of the potential service area. With this information, users can understand the full market opportunity for deploying a typical Fiber to the Premises (FTTP) network buildout to a defined service area and identify where funding is most required.

Click the button below to learn more about CostQuest’s custom Fiber Business Case Model data.

Custom Fiber Network Design from our CQA Autodesign model

  • This data includes fiber routes to Broadband Serviceable Locations (demand) and logical placements of equipment along the way.
  • We also will provide you with an efficient clustering and a full GIS design output ready for approval from a Professional Engineer.

Your complete location guide through the Digital Divide

You can leverage the BroadbandFabric Location data to build a broadband availability map, inform network plans, designs, financial modeling, manage a broadband program, funding determinations, opportunity assessments, and regulatory filings.

What the BroadbandFabric Locations dataset looks like in a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Green points represent Broadband Serviceable Locations.

broadband tower with land

Get broadband-specific data intelligence

With over 114+ million locations identified, each location represents either a residential, business, community anchor institution, governmental, and agriculture structures where a broadband connection is or can be installed. With the option to tie more broadband-specific attributes to each location that is built by broadband experts to enhance the analysis of each location to better support network planning, opportunity assessments, location qualification, policy, regulation, and sales and marketing broadband initiatives.
BroadbandFabric locations

Confirm geographic accuracy

BroadbandFabric datasets, except for CBG Ops Assessment, provides the exact geographic placement of each location, by first pinpointing structures of locations through highly accurate latitude and longitude coordinates, then using visual verification methods for added confidence.
digital map

Universal Location IDs Compatible with Federal Programs

The Location ID tied to each location in all the BroadbandFabric Data Suites align with the Location IDs in the FCC’s Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric for the Broadband Data Collection and National Broadband Map programs. These locations also align with the data used for federal funding programs.
download file 2

Easy import & interoperability with other datasets & applications

All BroadbandFabric datasets come in a .CSV file format that can easily import into any major GIS or visualization software, network planning tools, SQL, or related applications. This data integrates easily with other data by using a unique location ID, which is a universal location identifier that can support aligning other datasets with the locations in the BroadbandFabric data.

Receive data in 3 easy steps

another fiber

See how Broadband Serviceable Location data can support your project

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