This week’s BEAD Challenge weekly office hours included updates on the Challenge process, a walkthrough of the rebuttal process by AppGeo, and a time for Q+A from eligible challengers and community members.

I’ll paste screenshots from the demonstration below and general notes and questions that caught my attention. The most important thing: The challenge process will close. Now is the time to take the speed test and/or encourage your residents to take the speed tests if you think their service is wrong on the map. Anyone can take a speed test. If your speed test defines you as unserved, you will be asked for more information and you will be asked (and reminded) to take the test two more times. Connected Nation will get this information and submit a challenge for you.

Also, these office hours with OBD have been excellent. The demonstrations help tremendously, and every effort is made to answer questions. More weekly sessions are coming!

Notes, highlights and questions:

• If you are going to submit a challenge – do it now!
• If you are a provider, you’ll want to register in the portal or you won’t get notice if someone challenges your service
• Fabric data requests are an hold with the portal provider
• Can’t take speed test on mobile network

Q: What if the address doesn’t appear? “Submit no address on the map”
The data is from FCC. If exact address doesn’t exist, look for an address that’s close by and find it that way. We are limited to data we have. We have used a geocoder as well as data.

Q: We sent in address that MidCo will not rebut.
Connected Nation is working on making that challenge. Then when MidCo doesn’t rebut they will be made available.

Q: In one area, there’s a trailer park. We have served it for 20 years. It is suddenly coming up as unserved. Do I need to challenge that?
We draw from FCC maps so they should show as served if they were on previous maps. You will need to challenge.

Q: How does a provider submit a challenge?
Through the regular process – just check availability – service available. Can be done in bulk.

Q: On open rebuttal – as a provider, do I see the same maps as everyone else?
Yes

Q: On open rebuttal challenge – is there a way I can download data as a CSV?
We can look into it.

Q: what about residence files? Some show as businesses – so the bill isn’t going to the address isn’t in question so the proof doesn’t always match up.
If the address in question isn’t on the bill, we can’t use it.

Q: Please talk about speed testing as opposed to challenges.
Resident takes the test. If the speeds fail “served” level, the resident will be asked for more information and will be asked to take the test two more times – and will get email notifications.
The purpose of doing a speed test is to challenge the speeds of the location. If you already show up as unserved on the map, you don’t need to do a challenge.

From Chat:

Q: Several residents have challenged an unlicensed fixed wireless provider claiming their speeds are extremely slow or unavailable.  If the ISP is unlicensed, is there any reason for taking action in this challenge/rebuttal process?  Thank you for your advice.
A: Steve–residents should first check to see if their location is un or underserved. If it shows as un/underserved it is eligible for BEAD funding and does not need to be challenged. Unlicensed fixed wireless is not considered Reliable Broadband Service by NTIA guidelines so if that is the only provider, the location should show as eligible for BEAD and there is nothing to challenge.