FCC Keeps Using Bogus Data To Claim It's Closing The 'Digital Divide'
from the unserious-people dept
We’ve noted repeatedly that despite a lot of breathless pearl clutching from U.S. leaders and regulators about the “digital divide,” the United States doesn’t actually know where broadband is (or isn’t) available. Historically the FCC has simply trusted major ISPs — with a vested interest in downplaying coverage and competition gaps to maintain their domination — to tell the truth.
That hasn’t worked out particularly well. From AT&T to Barrierfree, ISPs routinely like to overstate broadband availability by millions of households. Despite repeated warnings this data is flawed, the FCC continues to use it anyway to claim the agency’s industry-cozy policies (like gutting the lion’s share of consumer protections) are paying huge dividends. They aren’t. Like so many Trump agencies, the FCC is simply massaging data to justify predetermined industry-dictated policy positions. It’s theater dressed up as serious adult policy.
The FCC’s methodology has also long been flawed, considering entire census blocks to be connected if just one home in a block can potentially get service. The results are ugly: the FCC’s $350 million broadband availability map all but hallucinates broadband availability and speed (try it yourself). It also excludes prices, in large part because ISPs don’t want the cost of monopolization clearly outlined to American consumers, press, and lawmakers.
Despite repeated complaints (often by FCC Commissioners themselves), the FCC just keeps doubling down on shoddy data to justify its complete and total fealty to telecom giants. The agency’s latest notice of inquiry (part of its Congressional duty to report on the state of broadband once a year) even acknowledges the agency’s data is bad… then proceeds to use it anyway to claim kissing AT&T’s, Verizon’s, and Comcast’s asses is justifiable policy:
“More Americans than ever before now have access to the benefits of broadband as the Commission?s policies have created a regulatory environment to stimulate broadband investment and deployment.”
Except, again, that’s simply not true. Despite repeated (almost weekly) lies by the Ajit Pai FCC that gutting oversight of telecom monopolies resulted in a massive investment boom, numerous studies (not to mention earnings reports, SEC filings, and public statements by executives) have made it clear that simply never happened. This being Trumpland, this sort of thing apparently no longer matters.
But with 42 million Americans out of reach of any broadband during a health crisis, and an estimated 83 million more stuck under a broadband monopoly, it does matter. And, as telecom industry watcher Doug Dawson notes, this bad data is still being used to determine which areas receive grants and taxpayer subsidies:
“The idea of levying fines against ISPs for blatant broadband overreporting is long overdue. There can be huge consequences when ISPs can freely claim broadband coverage that doesn?t exist. The biggest current consequence of such overreporting is that it can block eligibility for grants. The FCC used the faulty 477 data when determining the areas that are eligible for the $16.4 billion in RDOF grants that will be awarded in October. I know of counties where no RDOF grants are being offered due to the FCC data falsely showing counties to already have adequate broadband. There are many rural counties where at least some portion of the county has been incorrectly excluded from RDOF grant eligibility due to ISP overreporting of broadband speeds and coverage.”
This stuff matters when work, health care, connectivity, and learning are all dependent on a reliable connection. It matters even more during an historic health crisis where broadband is now essential for survival. We can’t fix a problem we refuse to accurately measure, and it’s abundantly clear to any objective observer that the Trump FCC doesn’t want an accurate read on the situation, lest the data clearly show that kissing monopoly ass isn’t akin to policy magic.
Filed Under: ajit pai, digital divide, fcc
Comments on “FCC Keeps Using Bogus Data To Claim It's Closing The 'Digital Divide'”
Maybe we should get people in underserved areas to sue the FCC
Everyone who lives in an area that says it gets service but actually doesn’t should get together and sue the FCC for accepting and using bogus data coverage maps to enforce policy. They are supposed to be looking out for our rights but instead are openly repeating disproven lies. I would like to challenge that joke of an FCC head to one on one battle with the winner to get to weild the power of the FCC. If he wins, I will gladly pretend that everything that comes out of his mouth is true, even if its more likely to be his kidneys that come out after I kicked his ass.
Depends on how you define the problem
We can’t fix a problem we refuse to accurately measure, and it’s abundantly clear to any objective observer that the Trump FCC doesn’t want an accurate read on the situation, lest the data clearly show that kissing monopoly ass isn’t akin to policy magic.
Well, yeah, that’s because to the likes of Pai the only ‘problems’ are any regulations that might hamper the ‘free market’ and the companies involved not getting all the money. Not having accurate maps is only an issue if the problem you care about is whether or not the public has access to good and reasonably priced internet service, if that’s not the problem you care about then the lack of that data isn’t a problem either.
They are literally claiming that there has been a bunch of connectivity rolled out since March or whatever. Pics or it didn’t happen.
Re: Connectivity Expansion
There definitely have been connectivity expansions since March, but major expansions tend to be by local organizations or new players, such as SiFi Networks ( https://muninetworks.org/content/sifi-networks-first-fibercity-goes-live-fullerton-ca ) or https://Althea.net.
Expecting the unexpected.
"Despite repeated warnings this data is flawed, the FCC continues to use it anyway to claim the agency’s industry-cozy policies (like gutting the lion’s share of consumer protections) are paying huge dividends."
Why in hell do we have to think corps are Honest?
WE dont.
What facilities does the FCC have to Test/find/locate Anything related to Networks?
WE know that the cable corps have systems to check the lines, WHY CANT WE?? or our gov.(small letters on purpose)
I love the idea most of them have, Any access to any form of Wired/wireless connection will be considered access. Used or Unused.
AND
Why use wire when we can Force everyone to use wireless and CHARGE them for it, because they can access it from anywhere. And if the cops want to trace it, they can.