The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Departments of Agriculture and the Treasury also are involved in coordinating federal funding for broadband. Image: DCStockPhotography/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffWhile the FCC plays the key role in overseeing federal efforts to expand broadband coverage across the country, other agencies are involved as well and the coordination among them could stand to be improved, the GAO has said.
Despite at least $44 billion in federal investment over the last decade “across myriad programs managed by different agencies,” millions of Americans still lack access to broadband and assessing where it is not available is a key need, a report said. However, the accuracy of the data on a map maintained by the FCC of where broadband is or isn’t available “is uncertain” because that agency “has not documented or assessed the sufficiency of its processes for ensuring the information’s accuracy,” it said.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Departments of Agriculture and the Treasury also are involved in coordinating federal funding for broadband, it added, but they fully have adopted only two of six best practices for interagency collaboration. They “have not clearly defined or documented key areas of their collaborative efforts,” such as what data to include when sharing information about their projects.
“The agencies also have not established timelines for providing data on funded projects to the map used to display information on federally funded broadband projects, or documented a formal process for avoiding duplicate funding,” it said.
“Clearly defining, agreeing upon, and formally documenting guidance would better position the agencies to sustain their collaborative efforts, especially should changes in leadership or staff occur. It would also help ensure that billions of dollars in federal funding are spent efficiently and effectively to expand broadband access, including to areas with the greatest need,” it said.
The Agriculture Department took no position on GAO’s recommendations toward those ends while the other agencies agreed with them.
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