Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I rise this morning to encourage my colleagues to support and cosponsor the Mobile Accuracy and Precision Broadband Act, also known as the MAP Broadband Act.

If we want to get broadband deployment right in this country, if we want to close the digital divide, particularly in rural America--in that great heartland of America--we need for the FCC to be working with an accurate map, and right now they are not working with an accurate map. The agency needs to know which areas are in the most desperate need for consistent wireless service, and the FCC's current map does not even come close to doing this.

I certainly was not alone in my surprise when I saw the coverage shown on the map released by the FCC in late February. It portrayed my home State of Mississippi as basically a wireless hot spot, with only 2 percent of my State not covered with a reliable 4G LTE connection.

This was an absurd conclusion based on what is actually taking place on the ground. That would mean that 98 percent of my State should have one of the fastest mobile broadband connections on the market. That is ridiculous.

I doubted that the map was accurate based on my own experiences, but I wanted to know what others had to say. So I did a survey in April. I sent out a survey asking Mississippians to tell me about their issues with connectivity. Their responses, which totaled more than 1,800, supported my conclusion that the FCC map is just wrong, and something needs to be done about it. The responses also reaffirmed what is at stake if the FCC does not correct the situation and get these maps right.

Mississippians and Americans across this great country need better service so their children can do their homework. They need it so they can FaceTime with loved ones who are away from home in military service. They need it for jobs. They need it for healthcare. A bad connection is inconvenient, to be sure, but it means so much more to public safety and jobs.

Americans in rural areas should not be at a disadvantage because of where we live. Strong, dependable broadband paves the way for economic growth for us all, and it allows for life-giving telehealth and cutting-edge agricultural technologies.

No one thinks my State is an exception to the FCC map. I have yet to hear from any colleague in the Senate who thinks this national map accurately reflects the coverage back in our State. So I propose that we continue to work together with legislation to direct the FCC to get this right. Let's harness the best data for closing the digital divide. Let's make sure decisions are informed by the most accurate maps possible.

Now, what is at stake here? There is $4.53 billion that is at stake here. The way we are headed now with this program and with this inaccurate map, the Mobility Fund Phase II program is about to go forward with funds being distributed based on a map that is absolutely wrong.

So my bill would do four things that I think would help. My bill would give challengers more time to voice their concerns and submit better data.

It would require the FCC to extend the challenge process by 90 days.

My bill would also require the FCC to disclose which phones should be getting 4G LTE service so consumers can know whether their service meets these expectations. In addition, it would require the FCC to provide monthly updates on the percentage of areas on the map that are being challenged and the number of challengers.

Fourth, we would monitor the effectiveness of the Mobility Fund Phase II program by the agency offering annual updates on how mobile wireless service is being expanded.

If anyone in the Senate, if anyone in the House, if anyone who can hear me today has a better idea, I am open to adding that to the bill. But at the end of the day, rushing through this challenge process is not in the best interests of Americans who are waiting for fast wireless coverage. It is not in the best interests, frankly, of the Commission, which needs to take the time to get it right, and we are out to help them to do that.

There will be original cosponsors from both sides of the aisle today when I drop the bill. Those who want to be a part of the challenge process need time and resources to put forward sound information-- information to help the FCC develop a map that truly portrays broadband limitations in this country. An accurate map would also help ensure the proper use of billions of taxpayer dollars--public dollars--to lead to real results to get us where we need to go.

We cannot go forward and we should not go forward with the data we have. My legislation today would take a big step in ensuring that before we distribute these billions of dollars, we need to make sure that we know what we are talking about, that we have the right information, and that we get it right.

Thank you.

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