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Home » Broadband Map v5 Frequently Asked Questions

Broadband Map v5 Frequently Asked Questions

For Residents

Q1. I am not able to find my home or business address location on Broadband Map v5. What should I do?

A1. Report that your address location is not depicted on Broadband Map v5 by reporting your missing address location at https://geosurveys.iowa.gov/addmissing/

Q2. The service speeds and/or providers reported to offer service at my address location are incorrect. What should I do?

A2. Navigate to the Resident Challenge Form provided on the map. Click "Report Incorrect Speed Information" and provide the requested information. Be sure to review the videos and instructions at https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband-availability-map-version-5 before you complete a challenge.

Q3. The map is very slow on my computer. What should I do?

A3. Please be patient. Broadband Map v5 contains a large amount of data and may take extra time to display information. If you continue to have challenges with the map, contact ociogrants@iowa.gov for assistance.

Q4. I can find my address location on the map, but when I click on my dot I do not see a pop up window. What should I do?

A4. Try zooming in further. The map will not display the pop up window with provider speed information if you are zoomed out too far. After zooming, a small gray square may appear near the dot of your address location; clicking that square may produce the pop-up. Also please be patient as the map contains a large amount of data and my take extra time to display information.

Q5. Can I report slow or missing broadband service at an address location where I do not reside or have a business (e.g., for a relative or friend)?

A5. Yes, but you must be able to certify all of the elements of the challenge form.

Q6. I don't have internet service at my home or business but my address location is identified as "ineligible". Why?

A6. One of the reasons a location might be identified as "Ineligible" is that ether state or federal funds have been offered to complete buildout in your area. Previous Incentives offered in your area for construction will be identified in the pop-up window provided when you click on your location. These previous incentives are disqualifying under future grant opportunities even if construction of new broadband service has not been completed yet.

For Providers and Communities

Q7. Many address locations I would like to serve in the future are not reported on the map. What should I do?

A7. Identify the locations on the "Location Not Present on Map" tab of the Community and Provider Challenge Form (Excel). Follow all the instructions and procedures for submitting a challenge to the Office.

Q8. I have found address locations on the map that are identified as "Eligible" but I know that they should not be eligible under the NTIA BEAD program. What should I do?

A8. The Office is aware that some locations identified as "Eligible" may not be eligible under the NTIA BEAD program. Please do not submit a challenge solely on the basis that an area with 100/20 or faster wireless service should be ineligible under BEAD. Review the Special Statement of Broadband Map v5 and Federal Program Eligibility for more information.

Q9. My PDF file of evidence is larger than 25 megabytes. How do I submit this to the Office?

A9. Contact the Office at ociogrants@iowa.gov for instructions on an upload process to submit the file.

Q10. I believe another provider is misreporting data on the map. What should I do?

A10. Identify the address locations on the "Challenge Form" tab of the Community and Provider Challenge Form (Excel). Follow all the instructions and procedures for submitting a challenge to the Office including the collection and submission of evidence.

Q11. I would like to file a challenge on the basis that another service provider is facilitating unreliable service.

A11. The Office will consider challenges on the basis of reliability. Justification for any reliability challenge should be demonstrated in the evidence provided in connection with a challenge. Claims of unreliable service should describe why the challenger believes the service is unreliable (e.g., low uptime statistics).

Q12. Can I gather speed tests from residents and submit them as part of my evidence?

A12. Yes. The Office will evaluate speed tests as part of any challenge submitted by a provider or community. However, speed tests are not expected to be persuasive evidence under the FCC's challenge process for the BEAD program. Claims of slow or unreliable service may be persuasive under other federal programs, and the Office will consider this evidence in the context of any future opportunities that consider such information valid for the purpose of making eligibility determinations.

Q13. Can I submit a previously developed broadband study as part of my evidence?

A13. Yes. However, studies that do not explicitly identify locations by address will not be considered sufficiently detailed to overturn eligibility determinations on Broadband Map v5. Documentation that is speculative, generalized, or vague will not be sufficient.

Q14. A 30-day challenge window is too short for my organization to respond. Can we request an extension?

A14. No. Unfortunately the timelines for the FCC challenge process generally inform the timelines for the Broadband Map v5 challenge window. In contemplating strategies to approach the challenge, the Office encourages prospective challengers to make a best effort to provide the most compelling evidence that can reasonably be gathered within the established timeframes for the challenge process.

Printed from the website on March 28, 2024 at 8:04pm.