Marathon County Broadband Task Force Asking Residents to Review FCC's National Broadband Map

Thursday, January 26th, 2023 -- 12:01 PM

The Marathon County Broadband Task Force is urging residents to review the Federal Communications Commission’s draft of the national broadband map to identify inaccuracies and challenge the draft.

The FCC is calling on consumers, state, local and Tribal government entities, and other stakeholders to help verify the accuracy of the data. This new map is the most granular and up-to-date federal map of where broadband is and is not available across the country.

The FCC's new broadband maps will be used to determine the allocation of federal funds to build broadband infrastructure. To view the new map, visit https://broadbandmap.gov/ and type in the address of your home or small business.

If the information is inaccurate or incomplete, you can submit a challenge by filling out the Availability Challenge Form. Instructions for submitting an Availability Challenge Form can be found on the FCC website at: https://help.bdc.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/10476040597787-How-to-File-an-Availability-Challeng.

“Access to adequate and affordable internet service is critically important to Marathon County’s economy, health, and overall prosperity,” shared County Board Supervisor and Broadband Task Force Chairman John Robinson.

“The FCC’s new broadband maps will serve an important role in the allocation of funds to build broadband infrastructure. Therefore, we ask that everyone review the map to verify the availability of broadband at their address is noted correctly on the map.”

Governor Tony Evers and Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin Chairperson Valcq recently announced the state will receive more than $5 million to begin planning for the deployment and adoption of affordable, equitable, and reliable high-speed internet in Wisconsin through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity Act, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Wisconsin could expect an allocation of $700 million to $1.1 billion for broadband expansion under BEAD, depending on the FCC’s mapping data. The PSC’s Wisconsin Broadband Office (WBO) submitted challenges to over 7,000 locations in the state, meaning the WBO identified homes and business that are missing from the map completely.

But now, public participation in the availability challenge is essential. The input of residents and small business owners will improve the accuracy of the map and result in federal funding for broadband being targeted to the areas of Wisconsin that need it most.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.