Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection; Modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program; Delete, Delete, Delete

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) that seeks comment on eliminating outdated requirements and ways to enhance the efficiency of the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) while ensuring that the Commission continues to receive accurate, granular data. Building off the infrastructure data-based coverage restoration process established by the Commission in 2024, the FNPRM seeks comment on several approaches suggested by commenters to simplify, streamline, or otherwise reduce burdens on this coverage restoration process. The FNPRM seeks comment on several ways to simplify the collection of fixed and fixed wireless biannual submissions, specifically on: (1) either allowing providers to indicate certain fixed broadband availability data have been "grandfathered" or else simply eliminating the collection of these data; (2) eliminating the requirement that a provider report fixed broadband availability data at speeds below 25/3 Mbps as part of its biannual submission; (3) revising the Commission's rules to eliminate the requirement for providers to use and disclose maximum buffer size data in their BDC biannual submissions; and (4) revising the Commission's rules to relax the 7 meter antenna height requirement that fixed wireless providers must use when modeling their coverage. In addition, the FNPRM seeks comment on ending legacy data collections for mobile service, specifically the collection of 3G mobile broadband availability data and mobile voice data as part of a provider's biannual submission, including potential impacts on reporting for Alaska and on relevant USF programs, respectively. Furthermore, the FNPRM seeks comment on current data retention practices to develop a set of best practices instead of adopting any substantive rule. The FNPRM seeks comment on several potential challenge process improvements, specifically on: (1) allowing service providers to presumptively rebut certain types of fixed challenges with infrastructure data and on requiring infrastructure data in response to certain types of fixed challenges; (2) various options for simplifying and reducing the provider response periods for the fixed challenge process; (3) streamlining the mobile challenge process by automatically removing from the National Broadband Map (NBM) all challenged areas that are conceded or upheld; and (4) relaxing or removing some current mobile crowdsourced data requirements to encourage the submission of additional data. The FNPRM seeks comment on mobile verification and audit process improvements. The FNPRM also seeks comment on improvements to the collection of mobile crowdsourced data and the use of drone data. Lastly, the FNPRM seeks comment on revising the Commission's rules to expressly provide that subscription data, the geographic coordinates of mobile or fixed wireless base stations, mobile or fixed wireless link budget parameter rationales, and any infrastructure data submitted in response to a verification request or audit will be always treated as confidential.