BroadbandNow, the web site that helps consumers comparison shop for broadband service, has unveiled a new National Broadband Map that includes, for the first time, the price of service to the zip code and census block.
"We believe that affordability and access to low prices is under-covered as a topic in the discussion of digital inclusion and wanted to change that.
For where broadband is available it relies on the FCC form 477 data from carriers that has come under criticism, including by BroadbandNow, but the group says over 100 ISPs have updated that info.
Other features:
"Includes pricing: our map integrates our propriety and constantly updated pricing data from over 2,000 ISPs.
"Evolving and Improving: Feedback is welcome from providers and the community to help us improve the map and add more precision and accuracy in real time.
"Interactive: use toggles to filter by price, availability and speed. (you can also filter for various technologies, i.e. isolate insights about Fixed Wireless)."
The FCC voted Aug. 1 on a plan to improve its own broadband availability data and map. Cable ISPs and others have advised it not to add the additional pricing factor into that effort, as some have called for.
The commission voted unanimously Aug. 1, with two partial dissents by the Democrats, to create a new Digital Opportunity Data Collection (DODC) regime based on geospatial broadband coverage maps provided by fixed internet service providers (a method backed by NCTA). It does not apply to mobile broadband, at least not yet.
