Snohomish County, Wash., December 19, 2022 – Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers urges residents and businesses to review the accuracy of their broadband coverage in the recently released Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Map. The federal government will use this map to distribute billions in funding to close broadband access gaps throughout the country. Potential inaccuracies in the map could mean the County loses access to significant funding to expand broadband access to under- and unserved households.
Snohomish County asks residents and businesses to check the accuracy of their household and/or business on the FCC’s map at this website: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/fixed. The federal government’s deadline to review – and potentially challenge – your household’s information is January 13, 2023.
“Closing gaps in broadband access will have lasting economic, educational, and health benefits for Snohomish County communities,” said Executive Somers. “The federal government has recently been making historic investments in closing broadband gaps, and Snohomish County must have access to our fair share of these funds. By checking – and potentially challenging – the FCC’s National Broadband Map, residents can provide crucial support for our efforts to expand high-quality broadband access across the county.”
“It is critical that Snohomish County broadband availability is accurately represented on FCC maps. This opportunity to review and challenge the FCC National Broadband Map will help inform future investments in broadband expansion projects. I encourage everyone to take the time to participate in this important process,” said Councilmember Nate Nehring (District 1).
“Accurate data is crucial in knowing where the gaps are in broadband services. With this information we can better serve our residents, especially in our rural areas,” said Councilmember Sam Low (District 5).
Residents should review the National Broadband Coverage Map to verify the accuracy of their address and the accuracy of broadband service at their household or business. To check – and potentially challenge – the broadband accuracy of your household/business, take the following steps:
- Follow this link: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/location-summary/fixed.
- Enter your address in the bar at the top of the map.
- Review the information on your address to determine whether:
- The location of your address is correct, and
- Your broadband status is correct. If the FCC believes your address has access to broadband, you will see a green “Served” box.
- If your address and/or broadband service is incorrect, click “Location Challenge” and complete the information requested by the FCC. We recommend including as much detail as you’re comfortable with.
- Submit the challenge.
Residents with questions about the map or challenge process should review this information from the FCC: https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/about.
Addressing gaps in broadband access is a top priority for Snohomish County. Executive Somers proposed and the Snohomish County Council allocated a total of $10 million of the County’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward broadband expansion efforts. In addition, earlier in 2022, Snohomish County received a $16.7 million grant from the State of Washington to expand broadband access on the SR-530 corridor. By checking the accuracy of the National Broadband Map – and submitting a challenge if necessary – residents can help support Snohomish County’s work to secure needed funding for broadband expansion projects.
Executive Somers established the Office of Recovery and Resilience to guide the County’s recovery work by ensuring federal pandemic relief is administered quickly, effectively, and equitably. Information on the County’s recovery work can be found at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.
SOURCE: Snohomish County Government press release
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
