West Virginia residents are encouraged to review the new National Broadband Map to help ensure accuracy. The West Virginia Office of Broadband and the West Virginia Broadband Enhancement Council ask that all West Virginians review their location data and broadband availability data on the new National Broadband Map, released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), on November 18, 2022. Challenges must be submitted to the FCC before January 13, 2023.
According to the FCC, the new National Broadband Map is a “pre-production draft,” identifying broadband availability at the address level. Users can search a specific location, such as a home or business address, to view details on available broadband services.
Importantly, the FCC map will be used to calculate the amount of funds allocated to the State of West Virginia by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This program will provide historic funding for broadband deployment throughout the nation under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
West Virginians are encouraged to submit a Location Challenge to indicate that an address is missing, or an Availability Challenge to indicate that availability is incorrect. Please follow the instructions below on how to submit a challenge:
How to Find Your Address:
- Visit https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home.
- Using the search bar, type in the address you want to view information on. The map should automatically zoom to your location.
- After finding your location, a side-panel on the right-hand side of the screen will populate location and service information.
- If your location is missing, ensure to select the building footprint or space of your location to submit a Location Challenge.
How to Submit a Location Challenge:
- After searching a location, select the building footprint or space to where the point location layer is missing.
- Once the location is selected select “Challenge Location”
- You will be required to fill out a form regarding information about your location.
- After a challenge is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email informing you that it has been received by the FCC.
- If a location is available on the map that includes inaccurate information, navigate to “Location Challenge” in the side-panel to complete the form.
How to Submit an Availability Challenge:
- After searching a location, select “Availability Challenge” in the side-panel.
- Select the provider (ISP) you wish to challenge.
- Complete the following form to dispute the providers claim on service availability.
The FCC map includes a variety of functions, including a summary of the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that may serve a specific location. Other details include residential and business service tiers, types of service, mobile broadband coverage, advertised speeds, and data downloading speeds.
The West Virginia Office of Broadband appreciates your participation in the challenge process to help ensure that all West Virginians are accurately represented on the FCC map. Challenges must be submitted by January 13, 2023.
