A broadband map is the beginning of digital equality

English · Connectivity

Broadband access is more than a shaded coverage map. A household needs a connection that is available, affordable, reliable, and fast enough for school, work, telehealth, and civic participation. GAO's August 2026 review of federal broadband deployment called for better targeting of underserved areas and attention to whether funded networks remain sustainable.

The review covers multiple federal programs and is not a claim that every Puerto Rico location has the same experience. It points toward a useful oversight framework: compare locations funded by different programs, check buildout against milestones, and ask what happens after the initial subsidy. The FCC's Puerto Rico-specific support and NTIA's BEAD work should be presented to residents in terms they can use.

NAPREC recommends a bilingual, address-level help path for reporting an inaccurate service claim and finding the program responsible for a location. Congress should ask for adoption and reliability measures alongside construction totals. Digital access can expand advocacy participation, but only if the connection actually works.

Source: GAO-26-107725, Broadband Deployment.