Clarifications on Reporting Correct Fiber Data to FCC

August 26, 2014

I’ve already received several questions related to the FCC’s definition of Fiber and Download Speeds (you work fast!) and wish to offer these clarifications:

Fiber: For the purpose of this map, the FCC doesn’t care if it is leased fiber or privately owned fiber. They also aren’t asking whether Internet is delivered to your District via fiber.

Download Speeds: The FCC is not asking the amount of Internet Access you’re receiving. They want to know how big your circuit is — what its capacity is. For example, is your circuit sized to 100 mbps, 1 gbps or 10 gbps — or some other size?

School Buildings: This map does not show individual school building connectivity data. When you mouse-over your district’s dot on the map, look immediately below the map (with your mouse still hovering over the district dot) and it will tell you the percentage of school buildings in your district with fiber or without fiber. The FCC has individual school building data, but it isn’t displayed on this map. So when sending the spreadsheet back to the FCC, be sure to include all of your buildings and their data.

If you have any other questions, please let me know.

– Julie

From: Julie Tritt Schell [mailto:jtschell@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 8:23 AM
To: E-rate Listserve – PA
Subject: FCC District and Library Fiber Maps – Is Your Data Accurate?
Importance: High

FCC District and Library Fiber Maps – Is Your Data Accurate?

As part of the FCC’s E-rate modernization efforts, the FCC has released two interactive maps showing every public school district and the percentage of its schools that have fiber, and whether each library has fiber. In reviewing several Pennsylvania districts’ data, I see that some data is accurate but much is not. To view your district’s data, go to http://www.fcc.gov/maps/E-rate-fiber-map, use the + sign to zoom in on the map, then hover-over the dot that is your school district to see your data in the table below. To see library data, be sure to change the view setting below the map.

The FCC is very interested in obtaining updated information for your district and library if the data showing is not accurate. To update your district or library’s data, send the attached completed spreadsheet to
schoolfibermap@fcc.gov (for districts) or LibraryFiberMap@fcc.gov (for libraries). Be sure to use the correct tab for your entity type.

The current school map only identifies connectivity to public school districts. The FCC intends to release a map at a later date with information about fiber connectivity to private and parochial schools, but non-public schools are welcome to submit their data to the FCC now before that map is released.

I encourage all school districts to review the school district map to ensure that your data is accurate and if it is not, please take 5 minutes to complete the attached spreadsheet and e-mail it to the FCC schoolfibermap@fcc.gov. If you have specific questions about the data, e-mail E-rateDataTeam@fcc.gov.

– Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator

o – 717-730-7133
f – 717-730-9060
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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