Data BRIDGE Act

The Data BRIDGE Act would require the FCC to add a new data layer to the National Broadband Map that shows the location of agricultural areas. The update must be completed within 180 days of enactment and then maintained going forward. The FCC would work with federal and state partners, including the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (NTIA), as well as state representatives and other relevant stakeholders, to source and verify the data. The purpose is to improve the map’s usefulness for understanding where broadband deployment intersects with agricultural areas, potentially guiding policy decisions and investments in rural broadband.