§1303 Improving Federal Data on Broadband

Summary

The Federal Communications Commission must include a comparison of broadband service in 75 communities across at least 25 countries in its report. The comparison must cover speeds and prices for each speed tier the FCC uses. The FCC must pick places that, as much as possible, match U.S. communities in population size, density, land features, and people. The sample must be geographically diverse and include capital cities. The FCC must point out key similarities and differences like market structure, number of competitors and providers, the technologies used, the services those technologies enable, how people and businesses use them, and the regulatory model. The FCC must also run public surveys of urban, suburban, and rural consumers in large business, small business, and residential markets. The surveys must measure the technology used, monthly cost, actual speeds, apps and services used, reasons people do not subscribe, other broadband sources used, and any other information the FCC needs. Survey results must be made public at least once per year. The Secretary of Commerce, working with the FCC, must add questions to the American Community Survey to ask households (including on native lands) whether they have a computer, whether they subscribe to Internet service, and if so whether it is dial-up or broadband. Nothing in these requirements changes the FCC’s duty to protect proprietary information or force its public release.