The Texas Broadband Development Map was released Jan. 12. The Texas map is an interactive tool that identifies areas of the state that are eligible for funding broadband expansion projects as defined by state law. An area is eligible for funding when less than 80 percent of serviceable locations have access to internet at speeds of 25 megabits per second (mbps) downstream and 3 mbps upstream. This mirrors the eligibility definition presented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The Comptroller’s Texas Broadband Development Office (BDO) established the map to show coverage at various speeds. The BDO held broadband workshops last year in communities across the state and learned that to be truly competitive, communities need internet that is faster than the FCC’s definition of high-speed broadband. Reliability also was a constant concern for certain types of technology, so the map shows what technology is available in each area.
The map will be updated biannually to incorporate additional information and data gathered by the BDO.