FCC 'Midstream' in Securing Map Location Fabric: Rosenworcel

The FCC for “way too long” hasn't accurately measured where broadband is and isn’t, said acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel during a Marconi Society virtual symposium Friday. “The best time to update our maps was probably five years ago,” Rosenworcel said. The agency is “midstream” in securing a broadband serviceable location fabric, she said (see 2107160057). “I have lots of thoughts about it. It’s not fast.” Rosenworcel said she hopes “things are going to come together in the next few months” and would like to see the maps be used to understand the intersection of issues like broadband access and health outcomes. Some states have “really engaged in quality mapping projects because we know mapping at the federal level is not the strongest,” said Public Knowledge CEO Chris Lewis on a panel. The FCC also needs to be more “creative” with the use of spectrum, Rosenworcel said. “Getting the right mix” between licensed and unlicensed spectrum is “important,” she said, noting auctions for licensed spectrum need to be made more competitive. The federal government is sitting on a lot of unused spectrum, said telecom attorney Steve Coran: “There’s a lot of ways that folks can use spectrum more efficiently.” Tribal priority windows “should be a prerequisite for every spectrum change in the future,” said Chris Mitchell, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's director-Community Broadband Networks Initiative. Addressing the digital divide requires a focus on both “deployment and affordability,” Rosenworcel said, touting the Emergency Connectivity Fund’s impact on addressing the homework gap, and said it’s “a distinct part” of addressing the digital divide. “There is no doubt that the beating heart of our post-COVID world will be digital,” said ITU Telecom Development Bureau Director Doreen Bogdan-Martin during a keynote: “Adoption is about making sure everyone can get online because that's when we get true digital inclusion.”