Broadband Mapping & Data
States Could Face Legal Jeopardy From Challenging the Fabric: Chief Data Officer of Montana
‘If…you’re leasing that data from a private entity, you can’t just hand it over to another private entity.’
WASHINGTON, October 26, 2022 – The State of Montana could be in violation of contractual obligations to a private partner if it fully participates in the Federal Communications Commission’s fabric-challenge process, Adam Carpenter, chief data officer of the Montana Department of Administration, said Wednesday.
Carpenter, speaking on a Broadband Breakfast Live Online panel, explained that some of the data Montana needs for challenges to the national broadband fabric is leased from a private partner. State–partner contractual obligations limit Montana’s ability to share that data with other commercial enterprises, Carpenter said.
However, CostQuest Associates, the FCC vendor which created and owns the initial version of the fabric, may lease the FCC-owned data submitted in the challenge process for use in its own commercial products, which means that some data from states’ private partners could end up in a competitor’s products.
“If…you’re leasing that data from a private entity, you can’t just hand it over to another private entity,” Carpenter said. “And that’s put us in a position where we’re either not going to challenge the FCC map, we’re going to violate our contract and we get sued, or we’re going to work some deal where we partially challenge the FCC map where it favors us.”

Screenshot of Adam Carpenter, chief data officer of the Montana Department of Administration
According to Carpenter, since many other states have leased mapping data from private partners as Montana did, this legal tension will likely limit state’s ability to submit fabric challenges and consequently lead to sub-par national mapping data.
Fabric-type data is the “core [intellectual property]” for the states’ mapping partners, Carpenter told Broadband Breakfast after the panel.
The fabric is a dataset of all “broadband serviceable locations” in America, and it will be the foundation upon which broadband coverage data is laid to create the FCC’s national broadband map. Based on this map, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will apportion $42.5 billion from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program among the states for broadband deployment and other related projects.
The FCC did not respond to Broadband Breakfast’s request for comment.
Panel criticizes NTIA intention to spend big on CostQuest
The panel criticized the NTIA’s stated intention to obtain the fabric and related products for an estimated $49.9 million, which would be in addition to the original CostQuest–FCC contract for the fabric’s creation, tagged at $44.9 million.
“I still…have no clue what it is NTIA is buying for $50 million,” said Sascha Meinrath, Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University and director of X-Lab.
“There’s no justifying the $50 million problem,” Carpenter said. “It’s clearly a price that was not derived from the value of the product being sold…that’s usually called gouging.”
The NTIA did not respond to Broadband Breakfast’s request for comment.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 12 Noon ET – Challenging the Broadband Fabric
Discontent is rising about the Federal Communications Commission’s use of the so-called “broadband fabric” to measure the availability of broadband on an address-by-address basis. Many are concerned that the FCC is dismissing or minimizing the ability of consumers to bring speed test challenges to fabric data. Additionally, the private nature of the fabric is a concern to those who say publicly-available information is needed for building out broadband. What are the alternatives to the fabric, and how might the fabric be challenged at the FCC, the NTIA, state broadband offices, or in court?
Panelists:
- Sascha Meinrath, Director, X-Lab and Palmer Chair in Telecommunications, Penn State University
- Michael Kleeman, Professor, George Mason University
- Scott D. Woods, Vice President for Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships, Ready.net
- Adam Carpenter, Chief Data Officer, Montana Department of Administration
- Drew Clark (moderator), Editor and Publisher, Broadband Breakfast
Panelist resources:
- NTIA Plans to Award $50 Million Contract to CostQuest, but Considers Competitive Procurement, Broadband Breakfast, October 24, 2022
- Communities Must Be Accurate in Fabric-Challenge Submissions, says Mapping Non-profit, Broadband Breakfast, October 21, 2022
- After Controversial Panel on Mapping, FCC Confirms No Charges for Access to Fabric, Broadband Breakfast, October 13, 2022
- FCC’s Fabric Challenge Process Important Part of Getting Map Right, Agency Says, Broadband Breakfast, September 8, 2022
- Montana Mapping Official: Treasury Deadline for ARPA Fund Disbursement Probably Too Soon, Broadband Breakfast, April 13, 2022
Sascha Meinrath is the Palmer Chair in Telecommunications at Penn State University and director of X-Lab, an innovative think tank focusing on the intersection of vanguard technologies and public policy. Prior to creating the X-Lab, Meinrath was vice president of the New America Foundation, where he founded the Open Technology Institute in 2008 and built it into one of the largest public interest tech policy organizations in Washington, D.C. He also founded the Commotion Wireless Project, which works around the globe to strengthen communities by providing tools to build their own local communications infrastructures, and co-founded Measurement Lab, a global online platform for researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools that empower the public and key decision-makers with useful information about broadband connectivity.
Michael Kleeman is a serial CTO and has worked in networks across five continents and deployed fiber, long haul, local, middle mile and even submarine systems, since the mid 1980s. Kleeman has a deep understanding of network economics, both capital and operating, across a wide array of local, long distance and international geographies utilizing current and emerging technologies for transmission and network deployment. He is a professor of practice at George Mason University.
Scott D. Woods is the Vice President for Community Engagement and Strategic Partnerships for Ready.net, where he facilitates and develops key public-private partnerships formed via the Broadband.Money platform. He also focuses on providing a platform for local communities to express their needs for broadband access and digital equity investments, as well as developing industry partnerships, and fostering alliances with key stakeholders to advance and support community-based broadband education and advocacy initiatives.
With a background software engineering and data analysis, Adam Carpenter discovered Machine Learning (AI) when it was still in its infancy and found his passion. Impressed by the transformational power of AI early on, it quickly became clear that it is the last step in a long data maturity journey. Adam has since spent a career helping organizations through that journey so they can better use their data to serve their customers. After receiving the call to public service, Adam is now facilitating this journey for the state of Montana through this same journey.
Drew Clark (moderator) is CEO of Breakfast Media LLC, the Editor and Publisher of BroadbandBreakfast.com and a nationally-respected telecommunications attorney. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he served as head of the State Broadband Initiative in Illinois. Now, in light of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, attorney Clark helps fiber-based and wireless clients secure funding, identify markets, broker infrastructure and operate in the public right of way.
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Broadband Mapping & Data
Association Says FCC Not Budging on Identifying Anchor Institutions on Broadband Map
SHLB said FCC officials recommended a workaround that risked penalties.

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2023 – An association representing anchor institutions said in a letter Wednesday that officials from the Federal Communications Commission conveyed that they will not be changing the methodology that excludes schools and libraries from the broadband map and instead recommended a “work around” that the group said could risk penalties.
The Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition has repeatedly told the FCC that its broadband map incorrectly leaves out anchor institutions because they are categorized as non-broadband serviceable locations by virtue of the fact that they are treated as businesses that purchase commercial service rather than subscribers to “mass-market broadband internet access service,” which is what the FCC maps. SHLB has said this means institutions may not be able to get enhanced connectivity.
While SHLB has said that many small and rural libraries and other institutions subscribe to mass market service, it said in meeting notes from a Monday rendezvous with officials that the commission is “locked into” their current methodology and even recommended a “work-around” that the association said risked penalties.
According to SHLB, officials said the institutions could challenge their status on the map by representing that “they are not anchor institutions in order to change their designation.
“This recommendation is not feasible,” SHLB said. “Anchor institutions are not about to risk penalties by mis-representing themselves in such a way.”
The map, which has been extensively challenged by local governments and is updated every six months, is relied on to provide the most accurate picture of connectivity in the country and to assist federal agencies in divvying out public money. In fact, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will use the map to determine how much each state will get from tis $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program by June 30.
SHLB said it commissioned a study that found the “vast majority” of 200 libraries on the FCC map were “grayed out” as not broadband serviceable locations.
“If states base their funding decisions on the Map, they will not be able to provide funding to ensure that anchor institutions receive gigabit level service as called for” in the BEAD program, SHLB said in the letter.
The association also said that information presented to it by the FCC during the meeting suggests the map “significantly overstates the areas that are served.”
Broadband Mapping & Data
Alex Kerai: The Rise of Digital Nomads Highlights Fast Broadband Needs
The top cities for remote work all have something in common: fast internet speed and free connection spots.

Companies across the United States are offering remote work, providing the opportunity for employees to become digital nomads and travel the globe while working. But where should these ‘digital nomads’ go?
The team at Reviews.org came up with a list of the 10 best cities for digital nomads and found that the key to living life as a digital nomad is fast internet speed. In fact, all but one of the top 10 cities for digital nomads have average internet speeds of over 100 Megabits per second (Mbps).
Why do digital nomads need fast internet?
Digital nomads have been around for decades, but they gained in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was possible to work from anywhere in the world.
But you can’t just pack your bags and set off on your journey. The most important things digital nomads need are a laptop, a cell phone and a strong internet connection. While it can be easy to find the first two things, a strong internet connection is dependent on where you move.
However, it can be hard to find a strong enough connection for Zoom calls and Google Docs while you’re in the middle of nowhere. So the big thing digital nomads need to consider before embarking on the trek of a lifetime is finding a place with a strong connection.
The top cities all have one thing in common
At Reviews.org, we decided to find the best U.S. cities for digital nomads. Forty percent of the weighted score was given to average download speed and the number of free WiFi hotspots. Internet connectivity was key to ranking the best cities.
And what did we find? All of the top cities have fast internet speed and free connection spots.
- Atlanta, GA: 114.1 Mbps average speed and 138 free WiFi hotspots
- Portland, OR: 106.2 Mbps average speed and 153 free WiFi hotspots
- Austin, TX: 104.2 Mbps average speed and 134 free WiFi hotspots
- Seattle, WA: 111 Mbps average speed and 164 free WiFi hotspots
- Phoenix, AZ: 96.2 Mbps average speed and 114 free WiFi hotspots
- Houston, TX: 115.7 Mbps average speed and 105 free WiFi hotspots
- Dallas, TX: 117.1 Mbps average speed and 96 free WiFi hotspots
- Chicago, IL: 104.1 Mbps average speed and 143 free WiFi hotspots
- Las Vegas, NV: 116.2 Mbps average speed and 65 free WiFi hotspots
- San Francisco, CA: 124.2 Mbps average speed and 119 free WiFi hotspots
These metro areas were determined to have the fastest speeds thanks to Federal Communications Commission data compiled by HighSpeedInternet.com, which discovered that the average internet speed is 89.3 Mbps and the fastest metro is separated from the slowest metro by over 95 Mbps!
So, where you decide to live can have a huge impact on how you work. If you live in Myrtle Beach, North Carolina (number 98 on our list), you might have gorgeous weather and views, but its average internet speeds are over 65 Mbps slower than metros in our top 15.
Overall, digital nomads need to have fast internet speed and numerous provider options in their metro area. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have some WiFi spots available when you want to work outside of the house.
Becoming a digital nomad
Digital nomads have the freedom to travel and work from anywhere. With the increasing prevalence of remote work plus the ubiquity of mobile, wireless technology, anyone is able to become a digital nomad and move somewhere new. And honestly, it’s pretty awesome having the ability to travel the world without worrying about commuting to an office.
But to be a digital nomad, you need to have internet access and broadband equity is key. Without it, there’s no way you can stay connected to your work while living away from the office. Some places have better internet access than others, but overall US metros share strong internet connection and lots of WiFi hotspots.
So what are you waiting for? Pick a city from our list and start your life as a digital nomad today!
Alex Kerai is the Consumer Trends Reporter for Reviews.org where his writing and research help users tackle what lies ahead. He has spent his career writing for small businesses, entertainment companies, nonprofits, and higher education institutions, helping them align their mission and attract consumers. This piece is exclusive to BroadbandBreakfast, but the research was originally published by Reviews.org on February 7, 2023.
Broadband Breakfast accepts commentary from informed observers of the broadband scene. Please send pieces to commentary@breakfast.media. The views reflected in Expert Opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the views of Broadband Breakfast and Breakfast Media LLC.
Broadband Mapping & Data
Next Century Cities Presses FCC for ‘Average’ Speed on Broadband Label
The group also recommended a more streamlined complaint process for digital discrimination issues.

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2023 – Advocacy group Next Century Cities pressed Federal Communications Commission officials in a meeting late last month to incorporate the average speeds of internet packages on the new broadband label instead of just “typical” speeds.
“An average speed allows consumers to understand the real speeds they can expect to receive, whereas typical speeds can only provide the potential speed a consumer might receive,” the group said in a Thursday letter summarizing the meeting. “Broadband speed estimates are typically higher than actual speeds delivered.”
The FCC is now in the process of gathering more input as to whether it should include more information on the label that is supposed to resemble nutrition panels on foods. The labels have been ordered by the commission in November after a consultation with the public.
The group also pushed for discounts consumers are eligible for and the state and local taxes that they would have to pay. “These data points enhance a consumer’s ability to understand the charges at the end of the month, which is also essential for the success of the CBNL.”
The point the group is pushing is that more granular data is required to get service to as many people as possible. “Absent granular data, the Commission will continue to have significant blind spots in broadband deployment, the success of its subsidy programs, and key areas that require digital discrimination investigations,” the NCC said in the letter.
Experts, however, have warned about the level of detail and additional information on the labels that may burden providers, including smaller outfits that have fewer resources than larger players.
In addition to the broadband speeds promised by the providers, the new labels must also display typical latency, time-of-purchase fees, data limits, and provider-contact information.
The NCC also recommended the FCC set up a “quasi-formal complaint process” for state and local governments, community anchor institutions like libraries, schools and health care facilities, and other organizations that collect digital discrimination data. This, it said, would allow for a less burdensome way to communicate issues without having to go through the “procedural burden” of a formal complaint.
“It would also promote collaboration between local officials, community leaders, anchor institutions, and the Commission which are all working to help end digital discrimination,” it said.
The commission is currently examining how to define digital discrimination when it comes to infrastructure builds.
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