Getty Images | Andrey Denischuk
Multiple internet service providers have submitted false availability data to the federal government for maps used to determine which regions of the United States have access to the $42.45 billion broadband fund. Last week we wrote about Comcast’s false coverage claims, but this article will detail false or at least questionable coverage claims by SpaceX’s Starlink division and Verizon and T-Mobile’s Wireless Home his Internet division. .
Some false claims can be easily proven by checking the provider’s availability website. SpaceX claims to serve virtually the entire U.S. on Federal Communications Commission maps, but Starlink’s website maps show that the service has waitlists for much of the country. It is shown that there is
We spoke with two people who have successfully challenged Starlink service charges at home. In both cases, FCC Maps confirmed that these resident claims were upheld as it is still not possible to use her Starlink service at a resident address. However, each challenge only corrects incorrect data for a single address, and Starlink still claims to serve nearby residences on the FCC map.
I contacted SpaceX today. I will update this article when I get an answer.
In last week’s article on Comcast, we investigated false claims in Colorado and then spoke with a man who disputed Comcast’s claim that it was providing service from his home in Hanover, Maryland. He confirmed on his website for Comcast that it is not possible to order the service at his home in Hanover, which is just outside his Comcast’s actual coverage area. This challenge is still listed as pending on the FCC map.
Verizon Not Available Despite Maps Claims
I also learned from a guy named Gabe in Goodrich, Michigan that Verizon claims to offer fixed wireless service in his home with download speeds up to 300Mbps. He filed a complaint with his FCC, but Verizon disputed the complaint, claiming it covered the house.
The FCC Maps website indicates that the challenge is still pending. I confirmed today that Verizon does not offer wireless home Internet service in my home by entering the address on the carrier’s website.
“Verizon Home Internet service isn’t currently available at your address, but you’ll be the first to know when it will be available,” said the availability checker, offering the option to sign up for a waiting list. The site shows the same “currently unavailable” message for 5G and 4G home internet.
Gabe said Verizon has yet to follow up on his FCC complaint “despite contacting them to try to resolve it.”
In response to inquiries from Ars, Verizon said that in some cases, its home Internet service “was available on the date of the report but is no longer available to new customers.” Verizon said it was looking into specific addresses in Michigan, but the carrier’s map submission said it “is only providing and doing what the FCC asks of it, which is following FCC rules.” ‘ said.
Unlike wired Internet providers, fixed wireless providers can transmit coverage information based on cellular propagation modeling data. However, U.S. law governing mapping data states that fixed broadband providers, whether wireless or wireline, must determine the area in which they are able to provide service through “periodic installations that can be completed within 10 business days from the date of service request. You can only claim submitted. “
Verizon capacity issue
A Verizon spokesperson said the FCC “maps are dynamic and continually evolving as we continue to expand the spectrum,” adding:
Depending on your location, you may experience capacity issues. Even if a particular address was available four months ago, it may not be available today because the network is not providing optimal service today. However, as additional spectrum continues to come online, addresses that went on sale four months ago and are not currently available to new customers may have additional capacity a month from now or sometime in the year. There is a nature. Maps are continuously evolving according to usage and available capacity in a particular area at a particular time.
This response may explain why homes marked as Verizon serviced on FCC maps are no longer serviced. However, Verizon does not have enough network capacity to service all the homes it claims on the FCC map, and that residents who have the option to purchase Verizon Home Services today may not be able to afford it tomorrow or It also shows that it may not be available if you wait until next week. .
Wireless industry association CTIA told Ars that service locations in fixed wireless network areas are “very dynamic and evolving daily. The FCC’s current map is based on June 2022 data, and providers “We are working to provide the FCC with updates from December 2022.” last year. “
