Nevada’s Democratic U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission this week, criticized the draught maps for the Silver State’s broadband internet connectivity as “deeply flawed” and warned that they could widen the state’s digital divide between urban and rural areas.
More than 20,000 reportedly “broadband-serviceable” places were found, according to the Nevada Office of Science, Innovation, and Technology, which believes this overstates coverage. State and local officials expressed their concerns in a letter sent Wednesday to FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and three other commissioners, in which they outlined their concerns.
According to a copy of the letter, they requested that the FCC work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to give the state’s broadband office and other organizations 60 days to verify and submit more accurate statistics.
The maps are frequently deceptive since they depict the entire town as being served when in reality it is only partially served if a company provides services to a specific neighborhood but not the entire town.
Furthermore, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s broadband funding guarantees depend on the usage data monitored by the maps, which might result in millions of dollars in lost federal funding for Nevada as a result of the inaccurate maps.
They note in the letter that counties with the least broadband connectivity have a greater incidence of chronic illness and avoidable hospitalizations.
They stated that having access to high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury but rather an essential component of daily life. Many of our rural communities are still having trouble connecting to the internet, which is having an effect on their economic potential as well as their academic and health outcomes.
The senators claim that the maps the FCC now uses are “iterative,” which refers to the fact that they are regularly updated with fresh data and also depend on self-reported data from neighborhood internet service providers. The state also discovered false information regarding the quality of service provided at some places.
The letter stated, “Considering the enormous size and rural nature of our state, this level of inaccuracy has even more impact.” But the same worries apply to all parts of the state, including urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities, where people who are already underserved would face more problems getting high-quality internet service at a price they can afford.
According to the Office of Science, Innovation & Technology’s most recent comprehensive broadband connection study, Nevada is the United States’ most connected state, ranking 35th overall. According to that research, more than 99% of Nevadans who live in metropolitan areas have access to broadband connections with upload rates of three megabits per second and download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second, which is the current FCC benchmark. However, just 66% of the state’s rural areas have access to broadband.
Secretary Of State: “Things Have Transitioned Well”
Democratic Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar got right to work in his new role on Tuesday, and he gave Barbara Cegavske credit for aiding in the changeover.
Aguilar praised Cegavske, saying, “Having someone who knows the roles, was in the position, knows the present scenario and all the potholes… it’s invaluable.” Although it has been difficult to stop doing the things I’ve been doing for the past few decades, there remains hope for the future.
Fortunately for Aguilar, their friendship began long before he ran for office.
When he served as general attorney for the Agassi Foundation for Education, Aguilar and Cegavske spoke first, according to him. Cegavske, a Republican state legislator, had ties to the late Jim Rogers, chancellor of the state board of higher education.
In the transition, the 20-year partnership was crucial.
Knowing her for the two decades that Aguilar has lived in Las Vegas has been beneficial because, in his words, “she understood who I am as a person, what I want to achieve for our state, and that I want to serve our state as a whole.” “Using her model as a guide, we’re making sure we’re serving all Nevadans.” But she has been honest and transparent. She has been incredibly open and honest about the difficulties and how she sees the future.
She has also given us unrestricted access to the office’s resources and workers, which has helped us figure out which tasks we can do well and which ones will be difficult.
It wasn’t just guidance that was available. Aguilar claimed that a number of Cegavske’s employees are remaining, giving him an experienced workforce right away and giving Cegavske comfort that the incomplete projects she had given to Aguilar will be completed.
Aguilar remained mum regarding the nature of those projects. Cegavske was unable to be reached for comment.
Aguilar remembered that he and Cegavske met at her office in Carson City shortly after the election to have “frank” discussions about the future of the post. Since then, according to Aguilar, the two have essentially become speed dial buddies.
Nobody enjoys being taken by surprise, and she has made every effort to limit them, according to Aguilar. And everything is connected to her love for Nevada. She is extremely passionate about this state and wishes to see some of the work she did continue.
If lawmakers want to make significant changes, Aguilar said, it will be crucial for all state-wide officials to remember the spirit of collaboration. That includes collaborating with Republican Governor Joe Lombardo, who took office alongside Aguilar last week at the Capitol.
According to Aguilar, “This is a state that is unique in that a Republican and a Democrat could come together and say, ‘This is what we want to do, and this is what we want to accomplish for our state.’ and be able to take that information and drive it forward, trusting the information you’re receiving because you trust and respect that person.