Development of Nationwide Broadband Data To Evaluate Reasonable and Timely Deployment of Advanced Services to All Americans, Improvement of Wireless Broadband Subscribership Data, and Development of Data on Interconnected Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Subscribership

In the Report and Order (Order), the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) amends the FCC Form 477 data collection in several respects to collect additional data on broadband service subscriptions. The Commission modifies Form 477 to require broadband providers to report the number of broadband connections in service in individual Census Tracts. The Commission adopts a voluntary household self-reporting system, and will recommend to the Census Bureau that the American Community Survey questionnaire be modified to gather information about broadband availability and subscription in households. The Commission adopts three additional changes to FCC Form 477. First, the Commission requires providers to report broadband service speed data in conjunction with subscriber counts according to new categories for download and upload speeds. These new speed tiers will better identify services that support advanced applications. Second, the Commission amends reporting requirements for mobile wireless broadband providers to require them to report the number of subscribers whose data plans allow them to browse the Internet and access the Internet content of their choice. Finally, the Commission requires providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (interconnected VoIP) service to report subscribership information on Form 477.