Millions of people without
At the beginning of 2019, under President Trump, the official number of US citizens without broadband access was 25 million. According to software and cloud provider Microsoft, it is But then 163 million. The figures used by the FCC were false, and Microsoft used political terminology as “obvious inaccuracies.” This includes not only how an area is or is not counted as ‘broadband’, but also what the precise definition of fast internet access (broadband) is.
Under President Biden, the FCC is reaping the benefits of a comprehensive plan to create a more accurate map of broadband in the United States. FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel expected The first, rough version of the best broadband card will be released in November. He says that for the first time, the regulator has collected detailed data on where broadband services are available and where they are not.
Advantages of the digital world
Once an updated map is released, the FCC will also provide feedback capabilities in the interface to that overview map. Stakeholders such as Internet providers and end users can submit revisions. Consumer interests play an important role in this FCC plan. Microsoft has already stated in its review in early 2019 that the benefits of the digital world are only accessible to those with a broadband connection. These include benefits such as e-learning, precision agriculture, SME growth through cloud use and access to better healthcare through telemedicine.
FCC Chief Executive Officer Rosenworcel now assures that work on a more accurate map is underway. The national map, including local sub-maps, will be updated, refined and improved over time. “Broadband providers are constantly updating and expanding their networks. We have a process in place to ensure our maps reflect those changes.”