Federal Communications Commission	"FCC  XX-XXX"


STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER JESSICA ROSENWORCEL

Re: 	Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection, WC Docket No. 19-195; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program, WC Docket No. 11-10.

For far too long the Federal Communications Commission has lacked broadband maps that honestly and accurately say where broadband is and is not in communities across the country.  It’s a problem.  That’s because when the agency develops policies it does not know with precision if it is targeting the correct areas and addressing the right problems.  
We can fix this.  
It was almost a year ago that Congress passed the Broadband DATA Act telling the FCC to update its data collection practices and improve its maps.  It was almost a month ago that Congress provided the FCC with funding to carry out this task.  Now it is vitally important that we get this effort started.  While I recognize that this decision may not be perfect, it is the beginning of building a better foundation for our nation’s broadband policy.  Speed matters.  But we also will need to monitor how the processes set forth in this order work, especially those designed to allow consumers, state, local, Tribal governments to provide feedback about the availability and quality of broadband services.  Plus, we will need to consider whether the data we collect pursuant to this decision provides us with an adequate picture of broadband services as experienced by consumers in addition to information about deployments to businesses and anchor institutions.  But for now, getting started is paramount and as a result this effort has my support.



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