The House of Representatives has passed the Broadband Deployment Accuracy & Technological Availability (DATA) Act (S. 1822). The bill, approved by the Senate last year, will now go to President Donald Trump for his signature.

The DATA Act requires broadband providers to report more specific data to create a significantly more accurate and granular National Broadband Map. With more precise data, federal agencies can target funding to areas that need it most. Current broadband coverage maps are inadequate because they rely on census block data to determine which areas are covered. In rural and remote locations, census blocks are too large to accurately determine need. If even one household in a given census block is reported by a provider as being served, then the entire block is considered served. Census blocks larger than two square miles comprise more than 64% of the U.S. land area, so every rural area is affected by this problem in some way.

The DATA Act is the result of an agreement with the Senate to merge multiple bills into one package that can be signed by the President. S. 1822 includes two bills -- H.R. 4229 and H.R. 4227 -- that passed the House in December.

H.R. 4229, the Broadband Deployment Accuracy & Technological Availability Act (Broadband DATA Act), was introduced by Rep. Dave Loebsack (D., Iowa) and House communications and technology subcommittee ranking member Rep. Bob Latta (R., Ohio). This legislation requires the Federal Communications Commission to issue new rules mandating the collection and dissemination of granular broadband availability data to establish a process to verify the accuracy of such data and more. 

Related:Better broadband maps coming

H.R. 4227, the Mapping Accuracy Promotion Services Act (MAPS Act), was introduced by Reps. A. Donald McEachin (D., Va.) and Billy Long (R., Mo.). This legislation specifies that it is unlawful for a person to willfully, knowingly or recklessly submit inaccurate broadband service data.

“It’s unfortunate that the Federal Communications Commission has failed to address these issues on its own, but this bipartisan bill marks a huge step forward in building out broadband where it is needed. We expect the Senate to act quickly on this bill and send it to the President’s desk so we can target future investments in broadband to the areas that need it the most,” according to a joint statement from House Energy & Commerce Committee chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D., N.J.), communications and technology subcommittee chairman Mike Doyle (D., Pa.) and committee members Loebsack and McEachin.

Related:FCC pours $20b into rural broadband efforts

American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall said, “Reliable access to broadband is no longer a luxury but a necessity for farmers, ranchers and their rural communities. This legislation will create a more accurate National Broadband Map, which will help ensure resources are targeted to the areas that need it most. Farm Bureau thanks members of both chambers who diligently worked to pass this legislation and are committed to ensuring all Americans, including those in rural communities, have broadband in their homes, at their businesses and on their farms."