The Federal Communications Commission is wondering if it should start collecting more accurate data about broadband deployment in the US, but of course cable and telecom lobby groups don't want them too. They like it the way it is. The FCC thinks people might want to know "What Internet can I get in my area?"
The FCC has a thing called "Form 477" that requires Internet service providers identify the areas they provide Internet service. This is broken down by census block. The FCC wants to know whather it is either business or residential, and what the highest speeds they offer in those blocks. Now the ISPs are also supposed to tell the FCC which census blocks are near enough to their networks that they could provide Internet service without too much trouble.
This information is supposed to help the FCC know how good broadband deployment in zip codes or census blocks is going. It is also supposed to identify the geographical areas that might benefit from government money, and what else might be needed to spur deployment and competition. A census block is pretty big and to really know who can actually get service the FCC really needs to know which house or building can get service.
Just because they service one unit in a census block doesn't mean they service all of them. The ISPs don't want to tell them which houses because that might make them actually make them accountable to provide that service. That might make them do more work.
The ISPs, like Verizon, might also get money from the government to provide Internet service to a census block. They don't want to have to provide service to every house in the block before they can consider it served and collect thier money.
No comments:
Post a Comment