Senate Commerce Committee Passes Broadband DATA Act

The Senate Commerce Committee unanimously passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability (DATA) Act (S.1822), a bill that would try to improve the data the government uses to establish where broadband is and isn't via broadband availability maps. Specifically, the bill:

1. Requires the FCC to collect granular service availability data from wired, fixed wireless, and satellite broadband providers.
2. Requires strong parameters for service availability data collected from mobile broadband providers to ensure accuracy.
3. Asks the FCC to consider whether to collect verified coverage data from state, local, and tribal governments, as well as from other entities.
4. Creates a process for consumers, state, local, and Tribal governments, and other groups to challenge FCC maps with their own data, and requires the FCC to determine how to structure the process without making it overly burdensome on challengers.