Culture

The Problem With America's New National Broadband Map

This long-awaited map looks like a precise picture of connectivity in America. Many people will find it doesn’t match what’s happening in their homes.
FCC National Broadband Map

Before last week, the official U.S. map of broadband access had accumulated a fair amount of dust. On February 23, though, the Federal Communications Commission’s cartography of connectivity got a long-awaited upgrade. But while the new broadband map is easier to click around, it still isn’t a reliable tool to gauge what internet options are available to homes or communities around the country.

Just ask one of the FCC’s commissioners what’s wrong with it.