By Madeline Lyskawa

Tennessee officials released their new map of broadband coverage within the state, which will be used to help the federal government create comprehensive, accurate and granular national maps and to guide state grants that support broadband buildouts needed to fill service gaps.

The announcement came after the Federal Communications Commission provided details to state entities on how to submit broadband coverage data earlier this month, as it strives to meet a statutory deadline to produce new maps of high-speed service across the country.

The state map was released by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and is available for public comment by broadband providers, local leaders and community members through the end of May.

Under contract with the department, the nonprofit organization Connected Nation sourced data from broadband providers across the state to create the map, which includes information covering broadband availability, speeds and technology types, and is searchable by address for all 95 counties, the announcement said.

TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe said in a statement that the agency looks forward to working with Connected Nation and Tennessee broadband providers to ensure that the state’s communities have the resources and infrastructure to further boost broadband across the state.

“We are fortunate to have a governor that believes all of Tennessee succeeds when rural Tennessee succeeds, so launching our state’s broadband map is a step forward in bringing faster technology to every corner of the state,” he said.

TNECD Broadband Director Taylre Beaty said in the announcement that the state map will play an important role in helping the department make informed decisions about where to invest funding for both broadband infrastructure and adoption programs.

After taking into account the public comments the agency receives in response to the map, TNECD said it anticipates releasing a revised version later this summer. The new map was released on April 18.

Last February, the FCC formed its Broadband Data Task Force to jumpstart long-overdue improvements to the agency’s broadband data and mapping tools.

The overall initiative by the agency was prompted by the enactment of the Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act in March 2020, which requires the FCC to biannually collect and disseminate data “relating to the availability and quality of service with respect to terrestrial fixed, fixed wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband internet access service,” and to use the data to compile broadband coverage maps for public availability. The law also directs the agency to develop a process for the collection of verified data from state, local and tribal entities that are responsible for mapping or tracking broadband access.

A TNECD spokesperson was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

–Additional reporting by Christopher Cole. Editing by Adam LoBelia.