Delgado Statement on Recent FCC Updates to Broadband Mapping

Statement

In August, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s met and announced new procedures to update rural broadband mapping, which will require internet service providers to provide more granular information on where they offer service. It will also end the flawed methodology of counting a census block as "served" if one home in the block has access to broadband. Following this announcement, Congressman Antonio Delgado (NY-19) released the following statement:

"This is a positive step from the Federal Communications Commission to acknowledge the flawed processes of census-block mapping technologies that over count rural communities and leave tens of thousands of Upstate New Yorkers behind--and I'm glad to see the commission take a vote to end this practice." Delgado continued, "I will be monitoring the FCC's data collection improvements closely and continue to call for mapping procedures that accurately portray broadband availability in rural communities. To truly address the digital divide, we must have correct mapping and a commitment to rural communities that for too long have been left behind by bad mapping and bad data. Access to broadband is an economic necessity for Upstate New York and I am ready to work with partners on both sides of the aisle to make sure businesses, students, and communities in NY-19 are able to compete in the global economy."

A founding member of the House Task Force on Rural Broadband, Rep. Delgado has made rural broadband a focus of his work in Congress and on the House Small Business Committee. During the appropriations process, Delgado successfully included an amendment to end reliance on census-block mapping. In addition, during House consideration of legislation to restore net neutrality protections, Rep. Delgado successfully amended the bill in support of standalone broadband service meant to crack down on the practice of bundling broadband services with other services consumers may not need or want.

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