Dems said Congress must act

The House Communications Subcommittee will hold a hearing Sept. 11 on broadband mapping legislation.

FCC chair Ajit Pai has proposed a new, more granular, approach to collecting broadband deployment data, conceding the deficits in the current form 477 framework, but House Dems continue to push for Hill action.

“Accurately mapping the availability of broadband internet service across America is essential to promote the deployment of high-speed service to Americans living in unserved and underserved areas," said Subcommittee chairman Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and full committee chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). "This FCC doesn’t have a clear picture of where broadband is or isn’t available, explaining some of its misguided choices when it comes to broadband policy,” Pallone and Doyle said. “Congress must take action to ensure the reliability of our nation’s broadband maps so investments in affordable and high-speed broadband infrastructure can close the broadband gap once and for all.”

On the other side of the aisle, the Senate Commerce Committee has unanimously passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act, a bill that would try to improve the data the government uses to establish where broadband is and isn't via broadband availability maps.