You have an opportunity to help improve the accuracy of the National Broadband Map (NBM). The FCC recently released a request for comments to update and correct the Map.  Comments are due January 4, 2013; reply comments are due January 22, 2013. This is NOT an opportunity to simply complain about data inaccuracies.  Rather, it is an opportunity for communities in your state to provide comment on areas where coverage is either overstated or understated.

Commenters claiming that an entity’s coverage is overstated are encouraged to serve a copy of their comments on the entity whose service area the commenter is challenging. The Bureau also seeks comment on whether any of the census blocks on the list are served through the Broadband Initiatives Program or the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The Bureau additionally seeks comment on whether commenters have brought any changes to the attention of the relevant state mapping entity or any other entity, and, if they have, to further describe the outcome of any of those discussions. In commenting on this list of potentially unserved census blocks, the above suggested topics are neither exclusive nor exhaustive. Commenters are free to bring any information they deem relevant to the Bureau’s attention

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration updates the NBM every six months.  If the Commission decides to do an additional round of Phase I funding, and the NBM is updated prior to the adoption of such a final rule in response to the FNPRM, the Bureau may incorporate that update, as well as any other relevant information that commenters provide, into its final list of unserved locations eligible for any additional rounds of Phase I incremental support.

Summer Minnick is the Director of Policy Initiatives and Federal Affairs. She can be reached at 517-908-0301 or sminnick@mml.org.