After defending false data, Comcast admits another FCC broadband map mistake
arstechnica.com
arstechnica.com
I submitted an FCC challenge about 2 months ago, and just today received notice "provider subject to your challenge has conceded the challenge and is required to submit a correction for the challenged location in the online portal within 30 days".
I am curious what benefit a provider receives from feeding this false information to the FCC? Is it funding (grants, etc.) related? It will also be interesting to see if the updated data will only reflect for my specific address, or if it will also apply to other areas around me that aren't serviced by the provider.
If it's the former, I will be submitting more challenges.
> One of those investigations began after our report about an Ohio ISP called Jefferson County Cable, which admitted to lying to the FCC about the size of its network in an attempt to block funding to rivals.
I've brought this to their attention, a neighboring ISP has fed false data and it could potentially be harming their options for funding.
I think the more interesting question is what are the penalties for a provider submitting this false information to the FCC.
Clearly there's a LOT of money up for grabs, and it seems like whoever tells the biggest lies will get the lions share. With no consequences for lying, you'd be stupid not to.
people wonder why businessmen and thieves are sometimes indistinguishable
It is very likely that many billions of that and subsequent subsidies have simply disappeared without anything to show for it, to the point of it being outright fraud. Nobody in the US seems to have the balls to recover this money.
Now, to be clear, they are still SELLING said technology, and in many cases they present it to you as their only option, but y'know, since it's obsolete, we'll just not count it.
The recipe? Regulation to avoid monopolies and market manipulation.
I hereby certify, under penalty of perjury, that:
I have examined the information contained in this challenge and, to the best of my actual knowledge, information, and belief, all statements of fact contained in it are true and correct.
If an individual, I own or reside at the location being challenged or am otherwise authorized to request broadband service there.
I acknowledge that the information provided in this form will be shared with the provider selected above for the sole purpose of reviewing and resolving the challenge.
If this form is being submitted by the representative of a company, organization, government, or other entity, then the certification must be signed by an authorized officer or signatory of the entity (e.g., corporate officer, managing partner, sole proprietor, or government official) who has reason to be aware of the truth and correctness of the information submitted herein.
[] The entry of my name above constitutes my electronic signature to this certification. Persons making willful false statements in this form can be punished by fine or imprisonment under 18 U.S.C. § 1001.
I’d like to see the news stories about them fining or imprisoning someone for correcting their database at an address where they don’t actually live, but I bet it discourages a lot of people from doing it. If an individual, I own or reside at the location being challenged or am otherwise authorized to request broadband service there.
Basically, they only want people to challenge the service where they actually live, not at every address in their neighborhood.Having a bunch of affected people working together gives extra power as a group, and potentially allows more ways forward legally (more clout, maybe class action, etc).
Time vs effort?
> The real problem is that only a fraction of the population knows about the map ...
Yeah... surely there would be some way to get increased awareness though?
If it was something that affected me directly, then sure... I'd already be doing it. ;)
Still, I think it would get them a hilarious amount of bad press to fine someone for submitting true statements about broadband availability at houses they don’t live in, so I say go for it.
great praise to this team at Princeton for going for the gusto in this in-your-face excoriation of lumbering greed-heads at Comcast and friends. more like this, please.