	FCC’s Data Overstate Broadband Access on Tribal Lands

In our September 2018 report on broadband access on tribal lands, we  found that FCC collects broadband availability data from broadband  providers, but its method for collecting the data does not accurately or  completely capture broadband access—the ability to obtain service—on  tribal lands. As shown in figure 1,  FCC’s definition of availability leads to overstatements of fixed broadband  availability on tribal lands by: (1) counting an entire census block as  served if only one location has broadband, and (2) allowing providers to  report availability in blocks where they do not have any infrastructure  connecting homes to their networks if the providers determine they could  offer service to at least one household. By developing and implementing methods for collecting and reporting  accurate and complete data on broadband access specific to tribal lands,  FCC would be better able to target federal broadband funding to tribal  areas that need it the most. FCC agreed with this  recommendation and stated that it is exploring methods to collect more  granular broadband deployment data. FCC Does Not Have a Formal Process to Obtain Tribal Input on its Broadband Data

As we reported in September 2018, FCC does not have a formal process  to obtain input from tribes on the accuracy of the data and tribal  stakeholders can face difficulties obtaining information from providers. Most of the tribal stakeholders we interviewed told us that FCC  should work more directly with tribes to obtain information from them to  improve the accuracy of FCC’s broadband deployment data for tribal  lands. A few of the stakeholders we interviewed noted that tribes have faced  difficulties when they attempt to challenge FCC’s broadband availability  data. By establishing a process to obtain input from tribal governments on the  accuracy of provider-submitted broadband data as recommended in the  National Broadband Plan, FCC could help tribes develop and share  locally-specific information on broadband access and improve FCC’s data  for tribal lands. Among these examples, tribes partnered  with several different types of entities, including private providers, a  community access network provider, an electric cooperative, a regional  consortium, and tribally owned providers. Specifically, we found that from 2010 to 2017, less than 1 percent of FCC  funding and about 14 percent of RUS funding went directly to tribes and  tribally owned providers. For example, they said tribes face regulatory barriers in  applying for RUS’s grant funding, including preparing existing and  proposed network design, demonstrating financial sustainability of the  broadband project within 5 years, and obtaining matching funds. The National Broadband Plan recommended that federal agencies  facilitate tribal access to broadband funding opportunities. However, according  to RUS officials, RUS has not taken steps to identify or address the  barriers tribes face when applying for RUS grant funding due to limited  resources and multiple competing priorities for those resources. We  recommended that RUS identify any regulatory barriers that may unduly  impede efforts by tribes to obtain RUS grant funds for broadband  deployment on tribal lands and implement any steps necessary to  address the identified barriers. By doing so, RUS could help tribes obtain  funding to expand broadband deployment on tribal lands. RUS neither  agreed nor disagreed with this recommendation.
Why GAO Did This Study

This testimony summarizes the information contained in two GAO reports: Broadband Internet: FCC’s Data Overstate Access on Tribal Lands , ( GAO-18-630 ) and Tribal Broadband: Few Partnerships Exist and the Rural Utilities Service Needs to Identify and Address Any Funding Barriers Tribes Face ( GAO-18-682 ). Specifically, it addresses (1) the extent to which FCC’s approach to collecting broadband availability data accurately captures broadband access on tribal lands, (2) the extent to which FCC obtains tribal input on the data, (3) partnerships tribes have formed with entities to deploy broadband infrastructure on tribal lands, and (4) barriers tribes face in obtaining federal funding. For these reports, GAO analyzed FCC and RUS data, and interviewed agency officials as well as a non-generalizable sample of stakeholders representing tribes and broadband providers.

What GAO Found

The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) approach to collecting data on broadband availability causes it to overstate broadband access—the ability to obtain service—on tribal lands. In FCC’s approach, broadband is considered to be “available” for an entire census block if the provider could serve at least one location in the census block. FCC, tribal stakeholders, and providers have noted that this approach leads to overstatements of broadband availability. Because FCC uses these data to measure broadband access, it also overstates broadband access on tribal lands. By developing and implementing methods for collecting and reporting accurate and complete data on broadband access specific to tribal lands, FCC would be better able to target federal broadband funding to tribal areas that need it the most.
FCC does not have a formal process to obtain tribal input on the accuracy of provider-submitted broadband data. Most of the tribal stakeholders GAO interviewed stated FCC should work more directly with tribes to improve the accuracy of FCC’s data. Establishing a formal process to obtain input from tribal governments could help improve the accuracy of FCC’s broadband data for tribal lands.
Tribes have formed partnerships with different types of entities to deploy broadband infrastructure on tribal lands, but such partnerships are not widespread. The partnerships GAO identified included private providers, a community access network provider, an electric cooperative, a regional consortium, and tribally owned broadband providers.
GAO reviewed four federal programs to deploy broadband services and found that from 2010 to 2017, less than 1 percent of funding has gone directly to tribes or tribally owned providers. The tribal entities GAO contacted cited barriers to obtaining funds from the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) grant funding, such as preparing network design, demonstrating financial sustainability of the broadband project within 5 years, and obtaining matching funds required to apply for federal grants. However, according to RUS officials, RUS has not taken steps to identify or address the barriers tribes face when applying for RUS grant funding due to limited resources and multiple competing priorities for those resources. By identifying and addressing regulatory barriers that may impede tribal entities’ access to RUS funding, RUS could help tribes obtain funding to expand broadband deployment on tribal lands.

What GAO Recommends

In GAO-18-630 , GAO made three recommendations to FCC, two of which related to improving its collection of broadband data. In GAO-18-682 , GAO made one recommendation to RUS to address regulatory barriers. FCC agreed and RUS neither agreed nor disagreed and both agencies described actions planned to address the recommendations.