Are you struggling with a poor internet connection at your home or workplace?
Now is the time to speak up as the federal government aims to cover more ground with faster broadband internet service in New York and around the country.
New Yorkers and U.S. residents can review their supposed high-speed internet status and providers on a proposed Federal Communications Commission broadband map, revealed last fall. If something is wrong with the level of service or the providers listed there, residents can dispute the card information.
They should do this by Friday, Jan. 13, to have the best chance of incorporating the fix into the final version of the map this year, the agency said.
How are the cards used?
FCC maps are used to track what type of internet service existed and where. But until recently, these maps broke down neighborhoods and regions by census block.
The problem? This method was not very accurate and some streets, houses or buildings fell through the cracks. Additionally, broadband improvement projects were often funded using these maps as guides, which excluded some residents, especially in rural areas, from crucial broadband initiatives.
Now, the FCC is finalizing maps that detail Internet services down to the address level. Fixed and mobile broadband service cards will be available. The broadband map will be used to inform federal funding allocation for broadband projects in the summer of 2023.
But first, the agency needs your help.
How the challenge process works
Through the Broadband DATA Act passed in 2020, the FCC established a “challenge” process for its card projects, whereby residents can point out where broadband information listed on them is inaccurate.
Customers can submit a fixed broadband card challenge in one of two ways: a location challenge or an availability challenge.
With a location challenge, they can report when a point on the map has the wrong address listed or the wrong number of units. They can flag when a particular location contains multiple addresses, such as a multi-family home, for example.
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With an availability challenge, customers can challenge the providers and types of Internet services listed at a particular address, or the speeds at which those providers are supposed to provide service.
Customers can also submit mobile map challenges, in the form of a speed test showing actual 3G, 4G or 5G mobile coverage outdoors at a specific address.
The law “requires the FCC to use a dispute process to continually update the map to more accurately reflect the reality consumers face,” FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel said in December.
The agency is also required to collect this “uptime” data every six months to ensure areas that have spotty internet service are identified and addressed, she added.
“With each iteration, we’re getting closer and closer to a more accurate picture of where broadband is and where it isn’t,” Rosenworcel said.
Some lawmakers have called on the FCC to extend the initial challenge period beyond Jan. 13, saying that with the holidays and awareness efforts, residents haven’t had enough time to review maps and submit claims. disputes.
“Federal funds are available for rural broadband and we need to make sure our communities get their fair share,” Rep. Marc Molinaro, who represents the 19th congressional district covering parts of the Hudson Valley, said Thursday. , central New York and the southern part. . “By extending the deadline for the FCC’s new National Broadband Card, we can ensure that rural communities in upstate New York have time to make their voices heard.”
How do I access the maps and submit a challenge?
Maps can be found at Broadbandmap.fcc.gov.
Enter your address in the search bar and you will receive all the information about the Internet provider, the service and the mobile service. From there, you can click on the buttons labeled “location challenge”, “availability challenge”, or “mobile challenge”.
You can provide supporting documentation for your challenge, such as correspondence with a supplier, your home address, or other documents.
Fixed broadband challenge cards and forms can be accessed from desktop computers or mobile phones. You can run a mobile internet speed test through the FCC mobile app.
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