On January 25, 2023, the FCC Broadband Data Task Force released a Public Notice announcing recommended best practices for submitting bulk challenges to the most recent version of the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (“Fabric”) database. Challenges filed since January 3, 2023 are being filed against the second version of the Fabric and will be used to create the third version of the Fabric, which will be the basis for the Broadband Data Collection filing window for data as of June 30, 2023 that is due no later than September 1, 2023. The Task Force encouraged bulk challengers to submit their challenges as soon as possible, and no later than March 15, 2023, to have the best opportunity to be considered in time for the next iteration of the Fabric. Challenges submitted after this date will be reviewed and adjudicated as part of a future iteration of the Fabric.
The Task Force reminded entities that the Fabric is not a database of addresses and entities should not simply upload a list of addresses as a bulk challenge to add missing locations to the Fabric (i.e. a “Type 1” Fabric challenge). Instead, filers of Type 1 challenges should conduct a geospatial analysis by loading the Fabric data into a geospatial analysis tool that compares the entities’ data against the latest version of the Fabric and utilize that analysis to file the challenge.
The Task Force also explained that entities with Fabric license agreements with CostQuest should have been notified when the second version of the Fabric was released and provided with a link to download the dataset for their covered areas.
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