Microsoft Data Reveals FCC Broadband Reports Massively Overestimate Coverage
Microsoft uses its own service data to prove that the FCC severely overstates broadband availability across the United States, highlighting a flawed reporting system.
Microsoft challenges the accuracy of FCC broadband deployment reports by using its own internal data to show a massive gap between reported availability and actual usage. The company analyzes download speeds across 200 different online services and finds that 163 million Americans do not use the internet at broadband speeds, a stark contrast to the FCC's claim that only 25 million people lack access.
The discrepancy stems from the FCC's reliance on self-reported data from internet service providers, who simply fill out forms stating their coverage areas without proving actual usage. For example, the FCC claims 100 percent of Ferry County, Washington has broadband access, but local officials and Microsoft's data reveal that only 2 percent of residents actually use it.
This flawed reporting method masks the true extent of the digital divide in the United States and raises serious questions about the effectiveness of $22 billion in government spending aimed at increasing broadband adoption. Microsoft warns that these significant inaccuracies appear in nearly every county across all 50 states, proving that the current FCC data collection process fails to reflect reality.