Michael Byrne, the GIO of the Federal Communications Commission, addressed the Senior Executive Seminar at the ESRI User Conference about the national broadband plan. The plan for nationwide broadband centers around delivery of high-bandwidth connectivity to all of the nation, because connectivity is central to economic development, public safety. The goal is for 100 million people to have at least 100 Mbps down to at least 50 Mbps up by 2020. The goal is for both access and the means to use the service. First responders should also have access to nationwide wireless. Finally, the broadband access should include the means to monitor our own energy consumption.
The broadband map came after the plan, and offers a means to measure the progress and ensure that the goal is met. The requirements for the map is that it should be online, searchable and interactive. The program has been administered as a grant program that gives each state leeway in how they develop their own map, within a five-year timeline.
The requirement for the mapping effort is to understand the availability of connectivity, what technologies are used to deliver Internet connectivity, and what speeds are available. The Census block level geography is being used, and enables the assembly and publication on one map with data publicly available.
As of this past Friday, there have been 54 grant awardees delivering datasets that have been integrated into one data container, providing a baseline for understanding of our connectivity. The independent data collection effort has so-far confirmed that 95% of the nation has access to some level of broadband connectivity.
Byrne is working toward a February 11 delivery date for presenting this information to the public. The idea is to use map services to provide a level of understanding to all citizens regardless of their technology sophistication. The map services that are becoming available will be open in a way that allows other to repurpose how to present the data. The idea of the National Broadband Map as a service will be achieved through an open API. The federal government has also pioneered a crowd-sourced data collection effort by delivering an iPhone-based speed test that allows the collection of data speeds across widespread geographies.
