https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/26/why-isnt-taxpayer-funded-u-s-broadband-mapping-data-owned-by-the-public/ [ ] Techdirt. [ ] * Sign In * Register * Preferences Techdirt [ ] * TechDirt * GreenHouse * Free Speech * Error 402 * Deals * Jobs * Support Techdirt [podcast-ti] Daily Deal: StackSkills Unlimited Surprise: Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Correctly) Explains Why Florida's & Texas' Social Media Laws Are Horrible And Unconstitutional Why Isn't Taxpayer-Funded U.S. Broadband Mapping Data Owned By The Public? [uses-of-te] (Mis)Uses of Technology from the this-is-why-we-can't-have-nice-things dept Mon, Feb 26th 2024 10:48am - Karl Bode We've noted for decades how, despite all the political lip service paid toward "bridging the digital divide," the U.S. doesn't truly know where broadband is or isn't available. The FCC's past broadband maps, which cost $350 million to develop, have long been accused of all but hallucinating competitors, making up available speeds, and excluding a key metric of competitiveness: price. You only need to spend a few minutes plugging your address into the FCC's old map to notice how the agency comically overstates broadband competition and available speeds. After being mandated by Congress in 2020 by the Broadband DATA Act, the FCC struck a new, $44 million contract with a company named Costquest to develop a new map. While an improvement, the new map still has problems with over-stating coverage and available speeds (try it for yourself). And the FCC still refuses to collect and share pricing data, which industry opposes because it would only work to further highlight monopolization, consolidation, and muted competition. But there's another problem. As broadband industry consultant Doug Dawson notes, the public doesn't even own the finalized broadband mapping data. Costquest does: "...the FCC gave CostQuest the ability to own the rights to the mapping fabric, which is the database that shows the location of every home and business in the country that is a potential broadband customer. This is a big deal because it means that CostQuest, a private company, controls the portal for data needed by the public to understand who has or doesn't have broadband." In addition to the $44.9 million the FCC paid Costquest to create the maps, Costquest received another $49.9 million from the NTIA to provide the databases and maps for the $42 billion broadband subsidy and grant program (included in the 2021 infrastructure bill). Third parties (like states trying to shore up access to affordable broadband) have to pay Costquest even more money to access the data. So it's all been incredibly profitable for Costquest. But taxpayers are closing in on paying nearly half a billion dollars for broadband maps that not only still aren't fully accurate, but which they can't transparently access and don't own despite paying for. That's fairly insane any way you slice it, and as Dawson notes, it's a detriment to the cash-strapped folks who could be helping expand access to affordable broadband (and helping fact-check the data): "Our industry is full of data geeks who could work wonders if they had free access to the mapping fabric database. There are citizen broadband committees and retired folks in every community who are willing to sift through the mapping data to understand broadband trends and to identify locations where ISPs have exaggerated coverage claims. But citizens willing to do this research are not going to pay the fees to get access to the data - and shouldn't have to." For decades, feckless and corrupt state and federal regulators turned a blind eye as regional telecom monopolies dominated the market and crushed all competition underfoot, resulting in spotty access, high prices, and terrible customer service. Usually under the pretense that "deregulation" (read: very little real consumer protection oversight) had resulted in immense innovation. Not only did government not address (or often even acknowledge) that problem, they're still proving somewhat incapable when it comes to transparently mapping its impact. The $42 billion in subsidies flowing to many states to shore up access is a good thing, but its impact will most assuredly be corrupted by feckless bureaucrats who can't stand up to industry giants, aren't keen on the idea of data transparency, and will lack the courage necessary to ensure giant monopolies with a history of fraud (like Comcast and AT&T) don't pocket most of the funds. Filed Under: BEAD grants, broadband, broadband mapping, competition, duopolies, fcc, gigabit fiber, high speed internet, mapping, subsidies, telecom Companies: costquest 5 CommentsLeave a Comment If you liked this post, you may also be interested in... * Cable Companies Tell The Government That Bullshit Fees Are Good, Actually * Amazon Faces Class Action For Enshittifying Prime Video * Comcast Gets A Wrist Slap For Using Dumb And Misleading '10G' Marketing To Confuse Customers * America Tires Of Big Telecom's Shit, Driving Boom In Community-Owned Broadband Networks * Republicans Try To Block Very Basic Efforts To Prevent Racial Discrimination In Broadband Deployment * * * * * Rate this comment as insightful Rate this comment as funny You have rated this comment as insightful You have rated this comment as funny Flag this comment as abusive/trolling/spam You have flagged this comment The first word has already been claimed The last word has already been claimed Lightbulb icon Laughing icon Flag icon Lightbulb icon Laughing icon Comments on "Why Isn't Taxpayer-Funded U.S. Broadband Mapping Data Owned By The Public?" Subscribe: RSS Leave a comment * Filter comments in by Time * Filter comments as Threaded * Filter only comments rated Insightful * Filter only comments rated funny LOL * Filter only comments that are Unread 5 Comments Collapse all replies [77a3a7f1d0]MightyMetricBatman says: February 26, 2024 at 11:56 am The updated FCC broadband map got my address wrong where it was right in the first one. The old one says AT&T fiber available at 1Gb. Current map says AT&T fiber no longer available. Considering I signed up for AT&T fiber after the second map was made, that can't be right or AT&T paused new subscriptions. I rather doubt the latter. The FCC could force the ISPs to provide more accurate maps, but that would require having a spine. As everyone knows, a spinectomy is required for FCC service. Reply View in chronology Make this comment the first word Make this comment the last word [user-default]egftechman (profile) says: February 26, 2024 at 12:12 pm Public funded should == Public Data Anything paid for by the taxpayers, whether it's data about broadband availability, or pharmaceutical research, should be public domain and openly available. Collapse replies (1) Reply View in chronology Make this comment the first word Make this comment the last word Threaded [2] [89e750ab2d]Anonymous Coward says: February 26, 2024 at 1:31 pm Re: The 100M$ received by Costquest to create the map may not be a very large amount of money (based on my experience in cartography, about a half has certainly be used in project management that real survey) and may also be under-provisioned for such a large country as USA. This gives at the end, most of the time, incomplete data with useless tools to edit the data. So, if nobody is willing to pour anymore money into it, the situation will stay as such, a temporary project (in a grain of salt in the 42B$ total budget), because it would cost much more to provide decent tools and complete data to the public. Of course, if a very small amount (let say 1%) of the 100M$ would have been given to independent open projects, we (the public) would own the (complete) data and the (great) tools. But I stopped dreaming about it for a long time. Reply View in chronology Make this comment the first word Make this comment the last word [u2515_100x0-1]ECA (profile) says: February 26, 2024 at 12:38 pm Once Those on the hill figured they could MAKE their jobs Almost permanent, They Cut so many agencies and stopped enforcement Everywhere. They need to learn something, and UNTIL we stop Voting them into Office- We need 2 added choices on elections. "None of the above" and "Vote of no Confidence". Iv even had those monitoring the pole, say it would be nice. Very few states have them, and Very few nations even have that selection. Reply View in chronology Make this comment the first word Make this comment the last word [b7e0a117b0]Paul Hutch says: February 26, 2024 at 1:09 pm Charter/Spectrum has always lied about my neighborhood in Massachusetts. They claim 1G/35M on the map but they only offer 300M/ 10M. But since there are no alternatives where I live and they do not allow anonymous reports, I'm afraid of retaliation from Charter if I report the lie. If I lose broadband access, I lose my job. Reply View in chronology Make this comment the first word Make this comment the last word --------------------------------------------------------------------- says: Add Your Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? 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