Groups Push FCC to Add Community Anchor Institutions to Broadband Maps

The American Library Association and the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition asked the FCC to ensure community anchor institutions are included as serviceable locations in the commission's broadband availability maps. The groups met with an aide to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, Broadband Data Task Force staff and Office of General Counsel staff, per an ex parte filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-195. The "presumption" should be that community anchor institutions in rural areas "purchase mass-market service and should be designated as broadband serviceable locations in the next version of the map’s underlying fabric," the groups said, saying providers should have the ability to "prove otherwise." The current map and broadband serviceable location fabrics "make the inaccurate assumption" that community anchor institutions "purchase custom-tailored broadband service" and aren't classified as serviceable "simply because E-rate program participants are required" to issue an request for proposal for service, the groups said.