By: Hailey Farrow, Marketing Manager on behalf of CostQuest Associates.
Regarding Service Availability data submissions
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that Broadband Data Collection Filings (BDC Filings) to submit broadband availability and other requested data to the FCC are due March 1st, 2023. The BDC Filing window opened on January 3, 2023, and will remain open until March 1, 2023.
BDC Filings for Broadband Service Providers
During this filing window, facilities-based broadband service providers will be able to file data in the BDC system that reflects where they made mass-market broadband internet access service available as of December 31, 2022. This data must be submitted no later than March 1, 2023.
BDC Filings for authenticated state, local, and Tribal governments
In addition to broadband service providers, authenticated state, local, and Tribal governmental entities responsible for mapping or tracking broadband coverage in their jurisdictions, may also submit their broadband availability data as of December 31st, 2022, in this filing window. This data must be submitted no later than March 1, 2023.
The resulting service availability data submitted in this second round of the Broadband Data Collection will create Version 2 of the service availability data collected from the Broadband Data Collection.
About the FCC Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric update for BDC Filings
The FCC Fabric location data has been updated – Now in Version 2
The Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (FCC Fabric) has been updated for use in connection with the December 31, 2022, Broadband Data Collection Filing window. As a reminder, the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric is “a common data set of all residential and business locations (or structures) in the U.S. where fixed broadband service is or can be installed, and serves as the foundation on which fixed broadband availability data submitted into the BDC is overlaid on top of the locations in the FCC Fabric.
The new version of the FCC Fabric (Version 2) contains data from additional sources, as well as improvements and updates made by the FCC and CostQuest’s internal efforts. The updated FCC Fabric data includes additional Broadband Serviceable Locations, as well as corrections to addresses, unit counts, building types, land use, and geographic coordinates. It also includes the results of bulk Fabric challenges submitted by state and local governments and broadband providers.
More information on CostQuest’s specific dedicated efforts to improve the FCC Fabric data outside of the BDC Fabric Challenge Process will come in future communication releases that will be posted on our website.
How to access the FCC Fabric Version 2
Now that the March 2023 BDC Filing window is open, service providers who are already licensees to use the FCC Fabric will receive an email from CostQuest providing them with access to the updated data on a rolling basis. (This email has been sent by CostQuest to FCC Fabric licensees.)
- If you are not a FCC Fabric licensee and are a service provider, please visit this BDC Help Center Page for instructions on getting a Fabric license.
- If you are not a FCC Fabric licensee and are an authenticated government entity, please visit this BDC Help Center Page for instructions on getting a Fabric license.
- If you are not a FCC Fabric licensee and are not a service provider or an authenticated government entity, and would like to become a designated entity to receive the Fabric, please visit this BDC Help Center Page for instructions on getting a Fabric license.
FCC encourages filers to submit BDC Filings as early as possible
The FCC encourages filers to submit their BDC Filings for December 31, 2022, service availability data as early as possible. This will allow the FCC to address any potential issues with the filer’s data in advance of the March 1, 2023, deadline. Failure to submit the required data may result in enforcement action and penalties as set forth in the Communications Act and other applicable laws.
A reminder of how the BDC Process works
CostQuest delivers the FCC Fabric data to the FCC and to BDC Filers. BDC Filers then use the FCC Fabric data as a basis to overlay their service availability data on the locations in the Fabric. The FCC then uses the service availability data submitted into the BDC in combination with the FCC Fabric data, to create the underlying data in the FCC’s National Broadband Map to represent where filers report broadband services are available for each individual location.
CostQuest has no role in collecting service availability data from the BDC or the creation and management of the FCC’s 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 FCC Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric | Yes | Yes |
| FCC Fabric Licensing Process | Yes | Yes |
| Collecting BDC Submissions from ISPs | No role | Yes |
| Creating and managing the FCC National Broadband Map | No role | Yes |
Resources
Broadband providers should submit their data in the BDC System at:
More information on how to submit data, as well as a recording of a webinar demonstrating how to use the BDC system, can be found at:
For information about the categories of broadband providers that must file availability data, the entities that may also submit verified availability data, and what data must be filed can be found at:
Questions
If you have questions related to the use of the Fabric data, the BDC system, or the BDC filing, please visit the BDC Help Center through the link below.
If you have questions related to FCC Fabric licensing or the counties contained in your Fabric file, please contact CostQuest Fabric Support through the link below.
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.