Federal Communications Commission	DA 22-1372



DA 22-1372
Released:  December 27, 2022

BROADBAND DATA TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES OPENING OF THE SECOND BROADBAND DATA COLLECTION FILING WINDOW

WC Docket Nos. 11-10 and 19-195

By this Public Notice, the Broadband Data Task Force (Task Force) announces that the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) filing window for submitting broadband availability and other data as of December 31, 2022, will open on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.  Starting on January 3, 2023, facilities-based broadband service providers may begin to file in the BDC system data that reflects where they made mass-market broadband internet access service available as of December 31, 2022. Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Third Report and Order, 36 FCC Rcd 1126, 1130-31, 33-34, paras. 10-11 & n.42, 16-17 (2021).  Facilities-based broadband providers must have one or more end-user connections in service.  The Broadband DATA Act requires the Commission to collect broadband Internet access service data from each “provider of fixed or mobile broadband Internet access service.”  Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act, Pub. L. No. 116-130, 134 Stat. 228 (2020) (codified at 47 U.S.C. §§ 641-646) § 641(11).  See Broadband Data Task Force and Office of Economics and Analytics Announce Inaugural Broadband Data Collection Filing Dates, Public Notice, DA 22-182 (BDTF/OEA Feb. 22, 2022) (BDC Filing Window Public Notice).
  Such data must be submitted no later than March 1, 2023. These as-of dates and filing deadlines were established by the Commission in the Second Order and Third Further Notice.  See Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Second Report and Order and Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, 35 FCC Rcd 7460, 7484, para. 55 (2020); see also BDC Filing Window Public Notice. 
  Entities that choose to submit verified availability data in this filing window, such as authenticated state, local, and Tribal governmental entities who are primarily responsible for mapping or tracking broadband coverage in their jurisdictions, must also submit their availability data as of December 31, 2022 no later than March 1, 2023. See 47 CFR § 1.7008(d)(2).  We describe our process for authenticating governmental entities primarily responsible for mapping or tracking broadband coverage in the Governmental Entity Public Notice.  Broadband Data Task Force Issues Guidance to State, Local, and Tribal Governmental Entities for Filing Verified Broadband Availability Data As Part of the Broadband Data Collection, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Public Notice, DA 22-417, at 3-4 (BDTF, WCB, WTB, OEA, OET Apr. 14, 2022) (Governmental Entity Public Notice).  We remind parties that the March 1, 2023, deadline applies only to submission of verified broadband availability data, and not to the submission of data intended to challenge the broadband availability data submitted by providers or the submission of crowdsource data.  
 
Filers should submit their data in the BDC system at https://bdc.fcc.gov/bdc.  A recording of a June 29, 2022, webinar demonstrating how to use the BDC system is available on the “Education” tab at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/resources.  More information on how to log in, navigate the BDC system, and submit data can be found in the detailed BDC System User Guide, and related video tutorials and help articles are available at the online BDC Help Center at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/Help.  Information about the categories of broadband providers that must file availability data, the entities that may also submit verified availability data, and what data must be filed can be found at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/filers.  
The Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric) that serves as the foundation on which fixed broadband availability data is overlaid has been updated for use in connection with the December 31, 2022, data that will be collected in the upcoming BDC filing window.  Providers who are already licensees of the Fabric will receive an email from CostQuest providing them with access to the new Fabric data on a rolling basis as the opening of the filing window approaches. State, local and Tribal governments and other third-party licensees will also be provided access to the updated Fabric on a rolling basis as the Fabric is finalized.  New licensees should follow the same steps to access the new version of the Fabric that the Task Force previously instructed for the first version.  See Broadband Data Task Force Announces the Availability of the Production Version of the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric, WC Docket Nos. 11-10, 19-195, Public Notice, DA 22-668 (BDTF, WCB, OEA June 23, 2022).  See also FCC, What is the Location Fabric?, https://help.bdc.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/5375384069659-What-is-the-Location-Fabric- (last visited Dec. 21, 2022).  More information about the Fabric, including what it is and how service providers, governmental entities, and third parties can access it may be found in the BDC Help Center at https://help.bdc.fc.gov.  

The new version of the Fabric contains data from additional data sources and other improvement efforts conducted by the FCC and its contractor, CostQuest, and the results of bulk Fabric challenges submitted by state and local governments and broadband providers.  Changes from the previous version of the Fabric include additional Broadband Serviceable Locations and other corrections to addresses, unit counts, building types, land use, and geographic coordinates. Reference document explaining the Fabric and methodology can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/resources under the “Key Reference Documents” tab. 
  We remind broadband providers that while they are no longer required to file broadband deployment information using FCC Form 477, Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Order, FCC 22-93 (rel. Dec. 9, 2022) (Order); Federal Communications Commission, Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection, Modernizing the Form 477 Data Collection, 87 Fed. Reg. 76949 (Dec. 16, 2022); Broadband Providers No Longer Need to File Broadband Deployment Data Through FCC Form 477; FCC Form 477 Subscription Data Must be Filed in The BDC System, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Public Notice, DA-22-1345 (WTB/WCB/OEA Dec. 19, 2022). 
 they must continue to file Form 477 subscribership data and voice service availability data.  However, as of the December 31, 2022, data collection, that data must now be submitted into the BDC system at http://bdc.fcc.gov. 
We encourage filers to submit their December 31, 2022, availability data as early as possible in the filing window.  This will give filers an opportunity to address any problems with their data identified by the BDC system in time to make any necessary corrections in advance of the March 1, 2023, deadline.  Failure to timely file required data in the new BDC system may lead to enforcement action and/or penalties as set forth in the Communications Act and other applicable laws. See All Facilities-Based Broadband Internet Access Service Providers Must File Complete and Accurate Data in the Broadband Data Collection, WC Docket Nos. 19-195, 11-10, Enforcement Advisory, DA 22-639, at 2-3 (EB June 15, 2022).

For additional information and questions regarding the Broadband Data Collection, please visit the BDC website at https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData.  

– FCC –