Federal Communications Commission	DA 22-1197



DA 22-1197
Released:  November 15, 2022

BROADBAND DATA TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES PROCESS FOR STAKEHOLDERS TO LICENSE BROADBAND SERVICEABLE LOCATION FABRIC DATA FOR USE IN THE BROADBAND DATA COLLECTION 
WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10
By this Public Notice, the FCC’s Broadband Data Task Force (Task Force), Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB), and Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) announce that parties may now begin the process of obtaining a license to the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric) for purposes of preparing and submitting challenges through the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC).  
The Fabric is the “common dataset of all locations in the United States where fixed broadband internet access service can be installed, as determined by the Commission.” 47 U.S.C. § 642(b)(1)(A)(i).  
  As required under the Broadband DATA Act, the Fabric “shall . . . serve as the foundation upon which all data relating to the availability of fixed broadband internet access service . . . shall be reported and overlaid.” 47 U.S.C. § 642(b)(1)(B)(ii).  
  The Broadband DATA Act further requires that the Commission create a process whereby information included in the Fabric may be challenged by consumers, state, local, and Tribal governmental entities, and other entities or individuals. 47 U.S.C. § 642(b)(5)(A).  
  
The Task Force made the Fabric data available to internet service providers and state, local, and Tribal governmental entities starting on June 23, 2022, so that they could submit broadband availability data prior to the close of the filing window on September 1, 2022. See Broadband Data Task Force Announces the Availability of the Production Version of the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric, WC Docket Nos. 19-195 & 11-10, Public Notice, DA 22-668 (BDTF, WCB, OEA June 23, 2022).   
  Additionally, these entities were able to provide feedback on the initial production version of the Fabric through the bulk Fabric challenge process that commenced on September 12, 2022. See Broadband Data Task Force Announces the Start of the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric Bulk Challenge Process, WC Docket Nos. 19-195 & 11-10, Public Notice, DA 22-913 (BDTF, WCB, OEA Sept. 2, 2022).   
  Today, other entities and organizations may begin the process of obtaining a license to the Fabric.
To access the Fabric data, each entity must register in the Commission Registration System (CORES), log into the BDC system, and execute a limited end-user license agreement for the Fabric.  Depending on your organization type, you may need to provide a brief description of how your use of the Fabric data aligns with BDC purposes and how your organization is involved in issues around broadband availability.  For more information, see https://help.bdc.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/10419121200923-How-Entities-Can-Access-the-Location-Fabric-.  
In addition to making Fabric data available to interested entities, the Task Force has also recently released documentation that describes the methodology used to create the initial production version of the Fabric.  This Methods Manual describes the biannual Fabric development process, including an overview of the Fabric data model and terminology, the mechanics of the Fabric production, and the output files provided to users.  Licensees can obtain the Methods Manual through the CostQuest Help Center, and a public version is available for all interested stakeholders under the Key Reference Documents Tab of the Resources section of the Broadband Data Collection webpage at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/resources.  
A variety of technical assistance resources related to the Fabric, including tutorials, knowledge base articles, FAQs, and other information, are available on the BDC Help Center at help.bdc.fcc.gov.  Requests for technical support may be submitted using the “Get Help” link available on that page.  
For information about the Fabric or the Broadband Data Collection, please visit the BDC website at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData.  For media inquiries, please contact Anne Veigle in the Office of Media Relations at anne.veigle@fcc.gov.

– FCC –
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