Reasons for Changes
When changes across version of the Fabric occur, there are four main reasons for this, summarized below:
- An update in the underlying data used in the Fabric. New or updated data sources used by the FCC’s Fabric contractor, CostQuest, to generate the Fabric could indicate the following: the presence of a broadband serviceable location (BSL) where one had not existed before (e.g., new imagery or building-footprint data, or updated information about parcel boundaries); the removal of a BSL that had been in a prior version (e.g., the demolition of a structure that was a BSL); and/or changes to the address or unit count associated with a BSL. Note that newer versions of the Fabric generally include additional secondary addresses, which may improve users’ ability to match addresses to the Fabric.
- CostQuest model changes between version releases. With each version of the Fabric, CostQuest updates model inputs, gains more information about the underlying data, and updates the logic based on feedback about the prior Fabric release. These changes can result in, for example, a more accurate selection of which structure on a parcel is the BSL.
- Manual review and visual verification. Where CostQuest’s confidence in the accuracy of certain locations is low, CostQuest will conduct one or more manual (i.e., non-automated) visual reviews of imagery and other data to determine whether or not a BSL is present. These manual reviews and visual verifications may result in a BSL being changed or removed.
- Challenges to the Fabric. Fabric challenges submitted by outside parties can result in a location being added to (or removed from) the Fabric, changes to the BSL identification on a parcel, changes to unit counts, and other types of modifications to the Fabric data.
The following reports are produced for each new version of the Fabric, and identify and quantify Fabric changes between versions:
- Version Change Report: This report consists of state- and territory-level files with a record for every Fabric location where one can identify: (i) if the location was added or removed between versions, (ii) if the location’s BSL status changed, and/or (iii) if the location experienced any changes to its attributes.
- Challenge Impact Report: This report consists of state-level files data that quantify the impact the Fabric challenge process had on that version of the Fabric. For each Fabric location in that version, one can identify the number of accepted challenges by challenge type.
- Successful Challenge Report: This report lists the Fabric challenges nationwide that were accepted by the FCC between versions.
These reports and their associated README files can be found at Fabric Change Reports.
The README files for the first two reports include state-level summaries of the data.
In addition, with each new version of the Fabric, CostQuest publishes an updated Method Manual and data dictionary, which provide more information on the how the Fabric changed between versions. These files are available for public download at:
