By: Hailey Farrow, Marketing Manager, Mike Wilson, VP, and Jim Stegeman, President & CEO on behalf of CostQuest Associates.
CostQuest provides the FCC with the National Fabric Data – No role in the creation or management of the National Broadband Map.
CostQuest plays an essential role in supporting the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) effort by providing the underlying Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric) data to the FCC and Internet Service Providers.
The Fabric location data serves as the foundation of location information (building structures) for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to overlay their broadband service availability data on top, to ultimately create the FCC’s National Broadband Map to identify where broadband service is, lacking, and isn’t.
The FCC’s National Broadband Map consists of two components:
- The Fabric location information of all the locations (building structures) across the U.S. that are or can be connected with broadband, which CostQuest supplies.
- The broadband service availability data submitted by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
The locations in the National Fabric data make up the individual location points that appear on the National Broadband Map. Each point represents a Broadband Serviceable Location (BSL), and the FCC determines the definition of a BSL. The National Fabric data works to provide a common foundational location dataset that all parties can use to make decisions.
CostQuest’s goal is to create the most accurate location dataset to support mapping where broadband service is and isn’t, to effectively inform the critical decision-making around where broadband infrastructure needs to be deployed, and how much funding needs to be allocated.
CostQuest entered the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric project knowing the stakes at hand and signed up to tackle this challenge because we believe accurate data-driven solutions are required to effectively expand internet access to all Americans. For CostQuest’s part, the BDC process is moving forward and on schedule according to what we were contracted to accomplish and laid out in the applicable bipartisan law, the Broadband DATA Act.
CostQuest’s Role in the FCC’s BDC Program
Provide the FCC with the foundation of location information called Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric data to support the Broadband Data Collection Program.
CostQuest’s role in the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) process is to deliver the Fabric Location data that provides all the locations across the U.S. that are or can be connected with broadband (Broadband Serviceable Locations).
Per the FCC Fabric contract, CostQuest delivers the data and makes it available to the FCC and interested parties, including ISPs, state, tribal, and local government entities, in their efforts to support the BDC program and the FCC’s development of its National Broadband Map.
See the table below for more clarification on CostQuest’s and the FCC’s role in the BDC process:
| BDC Process | CostQuest | FCC |
|---|---|---|
| Delivering the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric | Yes | Yes |
| Fabric Licensing Process | Yes | Yes |
| Collecting BDC Submissions from ISPs | No role | Yes |
| Creating and managing the National Broadband Map | No role | Yes |
What IS NOT CostQuest’s Role in the BDC Program
CostQuest does NOT collect broadband service availability data from ISPs or create or manage the FCC National Broadband Map.
While the Fabric location data is foundational to the accuracy of the resulting FCC National Broadband Map, CostQuest is not involved in collecting service availability data from ISPs or creating or managing the FCC’s National Broadband Map. Additionally, CostQuest has no role in the challenge process related to where broadband is and is not available.
About the BDC Process & Creation of the National Broadband Map
The Broadband Data Collection (BDC) process works to gather the necessary location information and service availability data to create the underlying data for the National Broadband Map.
To start the BDC process, CostQuest delivers the Fabric Location data to the FCC and to Internet Service Providers. Internet Service Providers then use the Fabric locations to report which locations they provide their broadband services to at what technology and speed. This step creates the service availability data.
Once the ISP’s service availability information is matched to the Fabric locations, the ISP submits its filing to the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection system. The FCC then uses the service availability data submitted by ISPs, combined with the Fabric Location data, to create the underlying data in the National Broadband Map, which represents where ISPs report broadband services are available for each location.
Individual location-level National Broadband Map is a big step forward from census block-level maps
CostQuest is proud to be given the opportunity to provide the Fabric data that supports the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection process to help with the creation of the nation’s first-ever location-level broadband maps. Mapping broadband availability on a location-by-location basis is a big step forward in improving broadband data collection processes that will subsequently provide more granular location-level data to inform decisions related to broadband deployment. The ultimate goal of the process is to provide a more accurate basis of broadband serviceable availability data than the prior collected census-block level information in Form 477, which will influence the efficient expansion of broadband connectivity to all.
For more information on how to give feedback on Broadband Serviceable Locations in the National Fabric data, please visit the Fabric Location Challenge Process web page.
Disclaimer
This communication does not reflect the opinion or the policy of the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is not responsible for the information or views in this communication and is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of such information or views.