New broadband act lacks funding, mapping elements

The Broadband Data Improvement Act, upon further review, may not deliver on all of the broadband data reporting promises that it once seemed designed to provide. Significantly, in the final version passed by Congress, the House of Representatives deferred from its own bill, H.R. 3919, to the Senate's version of the bill, S. 1492. However, the Senate version did not contain $40 million in funding to support broadband reporting efforts, or the mandate to create a detailed national broadband map using data reports from all service providers--a measure seen by many as the primary antidote to previously inaccurate broadband reporting.

By most accounts, S. 1492 still takes steps to improve broadband reporting and to publish more accurate information, but it seems that much of the concern surrounding broadband reporting methods last fall got lost in the shadow of the ongoing financial crisis and the $700 billion bailout legislation.

For more:
- read this report [1] at BroadbandCensus.com

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The Broadband Data Improvement Act passed Congress last week [2]
The House originally agreed on a more forceful broadband act [3]