RURAL Broadband Mapping Act

The Bill 117 hr 5512, also known as the RURAL Broadband Mapping Act, aims to improve the accuracy of broadband mapping in rural areas of the United States. The bill recognizes the importance of reliable broadband access in rural communities for economic development, education, healthcare, and overall quality of life.

The main goal of the bill is to address the current issue of inaccurate broadband mapping, which often leads to overestimations of broadband coverage in rural areas. This can result in these areas being overlooked for funding and resources needed to improve broadband infrastructure.

The RURAL Broadband Mapping Act requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to collect and publish granular data on broadband coverage in rural areas. This data will be collected from both providers and consumers to ensure a more accurate representation of broadband availability. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for verifying the accuracy of the data collected by the FCC. This will help to prevent providers from overstating their coverage and ensure that rural communities are accurately represented in broadband mapping efforts. Overall, the RURAL Broadband Mapping Act is a bipartisan effort to improve broadband access in rural areas by addressing the issue of inaccurate mapping. By collecting more accurate data and verifying its accuracy, the bill aims to ensure that rural communities have access to the resources they need to improve broadband infrastructure and bridge the digital divide.