Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program

In this document, a Second Report and Order adopted by the Commission establishes important measures for developing improved broadband data, including requiring fixed wireline and satellite providers to submit shapefiles, or lists of addresses or locations, representing where they have customers or could install service within 10 business days of a request; requiring terrestrial fixed wireless providers to report their coverage areas based on propagation maps and models using prescribed parameters, or based on lists of addresses or locations, to define their specific coverage areas; requiring all fixed providers to provide details on the methodology used to determine their reported coverage; and requiring mobile providers to submit coverage maps and propagation model details based on minimum specified parameters and to disclose other assumptions underlying the models. In addition, the Second Report and Order includes a provision for the Commission to establish a common dataset of all locations in the United States where fixed broadband service can be installed--known as the "Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric." The Second Report and Order also adopts processes for verifying the accuracy of providers' broadband data, including the collection of crowdsourced data and the use of regular audits to examine provider data.