Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar has asked the federal government to extend the deadline by 60 days for states and stakeholders to provide input on the accuracy of the proposed National Broadband Map. The national map will be used to allocate federal funding to states to expand broadband in unserved and underserved communities.

The Texas Legislature created the Broadband Development Office in 2021 to award grants, low-interest loans and other financial incentives to ISPs that expand access to broadband service in underserved areas. The Comptroller’s office released the Texas Broadband Plan in June.

On Nov. 18, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its initial version of the national map, which displays location-by-location views of high-speed internet availability across the country, as reported by internet service providers. The initial deadline Hegar is opposing gives state and local officials until Jan. 13, 2023, to challenge the map’s accuracy. 

“My office will work with stakeholders and local governments around the state to establish the best possible avenues for challenging broad inaccuracies through the bulk challenge process,” Hegar said. “But it is critical that individual Texans also engage in the challenge process to ensure the maps are as accurate as possible and funds are fairly allocated to areas that lack service.”

For the full story, see the Dec. 22 issue of The Princeton Herald