The FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau has issued a Public Notice to provide guidance to Enhanced A-CAM recipients regarding outstanding location and broadband coverage issues. In identifying Broadband Serviceable Locations to which deployment may be required, the Bureau will use version 4 of the Fabric, as modified by successful challenges submitted by March 8, 2024. For broadband availability, the Bureau plans to use data as of December 31, 2023 that is due by March 1, 2024 as well as any challenges to such data resolved by May 15, 2025. Challenges must be filed by August 1, 2024 to guarantee resolution by the May 15, 2025 cutoff.
The Bureau also noted that: (1) updated certified study area boundary data files will be provided to carriers, states, and other interested parties; (2) in cases where locations are within multiple Enhanced A-CAM carriers study area boundaries, the location must be served by the model-assigned carrier; (3) it will rely on the Tribal boundaries as reflected in the Broadband Funding Map to determine Tribal locations; and (4) it has posted two files showing the eligible locations and broadband availability of each location as of currently available data.
