# Understanding the PROTOCOL Act: Better Tracking of Broadband Funding

The PROTOCOL Act is about making it easier to see where the government is spending money on broadband internet infrastructure and what results those investments are producing. Right now, federal agencies fund broadband projects through various programs, but there's no single, clear way for the public to track where that money is going or what's actually being built.

This bill requires two federal agencies—the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)—to create better tools for tracking broadband projects. The FCC maintains a map showing broadband deployment locations, and NTIA maintains a database of funded projects. The bill adds specific details that must be included in both systems, such as which agency is funding the project, what type of broadband is being deployed (like fiber, wireless, or satellite), who's receiving the money (a private company, nonprofit, government agency, etc.), how much federal funding was awarded, whether local money is also being contributed, when the project starts and ends, and what internet speeds are promised. Essentially, it's asking for transparency about who's getting paid, how much they're getting, and what they're supposed to deliver.

The bill also requires states to report annually to the federal government about broadband projects they're funding or managing, both with federal money and their own resources. This information gets fed into the FCC and NTIA systems so everything is in one place. Additionally, federal agencies that award broadband funding must actually use the FCC's map when deciding where to spend money, which helps prevent duplicate projects in the same areas and ensures funds go where they're most needed.

For everyday people, this means greater accountability for how billions in broadband funding are being spent and better visibility into whether promised internet improvements are actually happening in your area.

PROTOCOL Act

Pfluger, August

Provide Rigorous Oversight To Optimize Connectivity and Offset Latency Act or the PROTOCOL ActThis bill requires federal agencies administering funding programs for broadband deployment to coordinate with one another, and with the states, to collect, publish, and utilize data on government-funded broadband deployments.&nbsp;Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to collect and publish additional data in the Broadband Funding Map, which captures the location of each federally funded broadband deployment project. The bill also requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to include similar information in its database of broadband funding projects, the Federal Broadband Funding Report Dashboard. The FCC and the NTIA shall ensure consistency between the map and the dashboard.&nbsp;Further, the NTIA shall request from each state an annual report listing locations in the state where broadband access was made available through a federal- or state-funded award, and locations to be served via sub-grants made to third parties through a federal- or state-funded award. This information shall be in both the map and the dashboard.&nbsp;Federal agencies providing funding for broadband infrastructure projects are required to consult the map as they award funding. The FCC shall conduct outreach to such agencies to ensure they understand their obligations to consult the map and report funding awards back to the commission.&nbsp;