# Presentation: 730638

## 
Chelsea Fallon

Special Advisor
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
Federal Communications Commission

FCC/USDA Rural Broadband Educational Workshop 
April 30, 2008

**Chelsea Fallon**
**Special Advisor**
**Wireless Telecommunications Bureau**
**Federal Communications Commission**
**FCC/USDA Rural Broadband Educational Workshop **
**April 30, 2008**

**FCC Data on Broadband Deployment (Form 477)**

**Notes:**
Thank you, Julie.  
I’m now going to give a brief overview of the data on broadband deployment that is collected by the FCC.
The FCC required by the statute, by Section 706 of the Communications Act, to “examine whether advanced telecommunications capability, or broadband, is being made available to all Americans on a reasonable and timely basis.”
In order to fulfill with this requirement, the FCC began collecting data from the industry on broadband deployment in March 2000, and it has modified and improved these data collection efforts over time.
The data is collected from broadband providers across the country, who required to periodically provide certain information to the FCC through file what is known as Form 477. 

## Who Files?

**Any facilities-based broadband provider**
**Speeds of +200 kbps in at least one direction**
**Forms filed on a state-by-state basis**
**Data submitted semi-annually**
**March 1 (December 31 data)**
**September 1 (June 30 data)**
**Data is confidential**

**Notes:**
So, who has to file Form 477?

-- Any facilities-based provider of broadband service, with “broadband” being defined, for purposes of this requirement, as data transfer speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second in at least one direction, uplink or downlink.

-- The forms are filed on a state-by-state basis, so each provider must fill out one form for each state in which they offer service.  If they provide service in all 50 states, they would submit 50 forms.

-- They submit the data twice a year.  The data as of December 31 is due by March 1, and the mid-year data as of June 30 is due by September 1.

-- The data filed by individual carriers is kept confidential, although the Commission does release the data on an aggregated basis periodically. 

## What Is Reported?

- DSL
- Cable
- Fiber
- T1
**Speed tiers for services +200 kbps in both directions**
- 200 kbps – 2.5 Mbps
- 2.5 – 10 Mbps

**What Is Reported?**

- Fixed Wireless
- Mobile Wireless
- Satellite
- BPL

- 10-25 Mbps
- 25-100 Mbps

- +100 Mbps

**Notes:**
So, what information do broadband providers report?
-- each form must include number of broadband connections in the state broken down by technology
-- these technologies include the various broadband platforms: DSL, cable, fiber to the home, T1 line, fixed wireless, mobile wireless, satellite, and broadband over power lines

-- One connection to a home or office is counted as one connection.  The number of users of a single connection is not captured by this data.  However, filers must also report the percentage of total connections, for each technology, provided to residential customers.

-- In addition, for any services that offered at over 200 kilobits per second in both directions, filers must do a further break out of the speed tiers in which the service is offered.
-- There are currently five different speed tiers with the first tier including connections that are between 200 kilobits per second and 2.5 Megabits per second, and the highest tier including services that are over 100 megabits per second

## What Is Reported?

- One list for each technology
- For mobile wireless services, zip codes where broadband networks available
**Data on fixed/mobile telephone service also collected**
**FCC releases aggregated data in semi-annual reports**

**What Is Reported?**

**Notes:**
In addition to listing the number of connections by technology and speed tier, Form 477 filers must also attach a list of all of the zip codes in the state where they have at least one broadband connection.

And if a single provides broadband service over more than one technology platform in the state, it must attach a separate list for each technology.

Providers of mobile wireless service have a slightly different requirement.  They attach a list of all of the zip codes covered by their mobile broadband networks – since their customers are not in a fixed location when they are online like cable or DSL customers.  (Availability vs. deployment for wireless).

In addition to broadband data, the Form 477 also asks for data on local telephone competition, including telephone service provided over various platforms such as cable and mobile phone networks.

After the FCC collects and analyzes the semi-annual data, it releases a report with aggregate statistics on broadband deployment, including the number of subscribers by technology, and the number of broadband providers per zip code.

## Broadband Deployment

**Notes:**
Here’s a map of the number of broadband providers by zip code across the country.  The peach areas show 1 to 3 providers, the orange areas show 4-6, and the blue areas show 7 or more.  

## Recent Improvements

**Number of speed tiers expanded from 5 to 8.**
**Providers will report number of subscribers by Census Tract, broken down by speed tier and technology.**
**Improved accuracy of information on mobile wireless deployment. **

**Recent Improvements**

**Notes:**
As I mentioned earlier, the Commission has made efforts to improve the accuracy and granularity of the broadband data it collects over time. 

In recent years, the Commission has recognized that additional improvements to its broadband data collection can be made, particularly by including more detailed information on speed tiers and a more detailed measurement of deployment using smaller geographic areas.

In March, the Commission adopted an order modifying and improving the Form 477 requirements.  The full text of the order has not yet been released, but a few key changes were announced when the order was adopted.

First, the Commission will expand the number of speed tiers from 5 to 8.  This includes creating a tier from 200-768 kbps that will be called “first generation data.”  The 7 levels above that will be labeled broadband tiers one through seven.  This will allow the Commission to get a better picture of services offered in the large 200 kbps to 2.5 Megabits per second range, which was previously a single tier.

The Commission will also require filers to list the Census Tracts, rather than a zip codes, where they offer service, which will significantly improve the granularity of the geographic data on broadband deployment, since there are roughly twice as many census tracts as zip codes in the U.S.  In addition, filers will be required to provide the number of subscribers in each census tract, broken down by the type of technology and the speed tier.

Finally, the Commission also adopted rules to improve the accuracy of the data it collects on mobile wireless deployment, which currently includes the number of connections to wireless devices that are capable of receiving or transmitting data at broadband speeds, regardless of whether the user subscribes to a particular data plan.

The Order also included a further notice in which the Commission is seeking data on broadband pricing and availability.