Pa. Broadband officials ask Pennsylvanians to review FCC maps

The state authority tasked with overseeing broadband expansion in the commonwealth is asking Pennsylvanians to review federal broadband access maps for accuracy. 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maps show all broadband serviceable locations across the United States where fixed broadband internet access service is, or can be, installed.

The Pennsylvania Broadband Authority, which oversees the distribution of millions of dollars in federal funding for broadband expansion across Pennsylvania, and approved a statewide expansion and access plan in November, said that “the allocation of funding for broadband deployment under the federal infrastructure law is dependent upon the map being accurate.”

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“This map is a critical step in closing the digital divide, and ensuring its accuracy is important,” Brandon Carson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Broadband Authority, said. “I encourage all Pennsylvanians to review the FCC broadband access map and provide corrections through the challenge process.”

The authority is specifically asking Pennsylvanians to use the maps to search for their home address to determine whether the information listed by the FCC is accurate by Jan. 13. 

The authority will also host a webinar about the maps on Tuesday, Dec. 6 to discuss challenges, such as whether a location’s broadband serviceability is incorrectly identified, Information such as the address or unit count for the location is incorrect, or the location’s placement (its geographic coordinates) is incorrect.