A filer must choose one format – location list or polygon – to use for all of its fixed availability data in each BDC filing.
If a filer chooses to submit availability data using the location list format, the file must contain a list of the locations served by a fixed broadband provider. Each location must conform to a location in the FCC's Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric and include a Location ID from the Fabric. To submit a location list, filers must upload a Comma Separated Values (CSV) file in the BDC system that contains the following 8 required fields in the format specified below:
| Field | Header | Data Type | Example | Description / Notes |
| Provider ID | provider_id | Integer | 131425 | A unique 6-digit code generated by the FCC that identifies each service provider. See the list of Provider IDs. When the entity is a service provider, the values in this field can be null and will be ignored, but the field must be included in the file. |
| Brand Name | brand_name | String | Acme Broadband | Name of the entity or service advertised or offered to consumers |
| Location ID | location_id | Integer | 1000000121 | A unique identifier for the location served. Each Location ID is a 10-digit number starting with one billion. |
| Technology | technology | Integer | 50 |
Code for the technology used for the deployed service. Value must be one of the following codes: 10 Copper Wire See Fixed and Mobile Technology Codes for more information. |
| Maximum Advertised Download Speed | max_advertised_download_speed | Integer | 1000 |
Maximum advertised download speed offered to the location in Mbps as an integer. The system will reject a file if the value in this field is not an integer or does not meet the requirements below. It will not round or truncate decimals. Service Below 25/3 Mbps Regarding the maximum advertised speeds of the service offered, if the download is less than 25 Mbps or the upload is less than 3 Mbps, but either the download or upload speed is at least 200 kbps, report using one of the following service tiers:
Service At or Above 25/3 Mbps If the service offered has a maximum advertised download speed that is greater than or equal to 25 Mbps and a maximum advertised upload speed that is greater than or equal to 3 Mbps, enter the value of the advertised download speed in Mbps as an integer. If no downstream speed is advertised for the service, enter the speed that end users should expect to receive. |
| Maximum Advertised Upload Speed | max_advertised_upload_speed | Integer | 1000 |
Maximum advertised upload speed, in Mbps, associated with the maximum advertised download speed offered to the location. Enter the value as an integer. The system will reject a file if the value in this field is not an integer; it will not round or truncate decimals. Service Below 25/3 Mbps Regarding the maximum advertised speeds of the service offered, if the download is less than 25 Mbps or the upload is less than 3 Mbps, but either the download or upload speed is at least 200 kbps, report using one of the following service tiers:
Service At or Above 25/3 Mbps If the service offered has a maximum advertised upload speed that is greater than or equal to 3 Mbps paired with a maximum advertised download speed that is greater than or equal to 25 Mbps, enter the value of the advertised upload speed in Mbps as an integer. If no upstream speed is advertised for the service, enter the speed that end users should expect to receive. |
| Latency | low_latency | Boolean Integer | 1 |
The offered service is low latency, defined as having round-trip latency of less than or equal to 100 milliseconds based on the 95th percentile of measurements. Value must be one of the following codes: |
| Business / Residential Category | business_residential_code | Enumerated String {1} | B |
Enumerated character identifying whether the service at the location is business-only, residential-only, or offered to both business and residential customers. Value must be one of the following codes: B Business-only service If distinct residential and business services, each with different maximum advertised download and upload speeds, are offered at the same location, enter those services as separate records, one with R and one with B. |
Because a provider could potentially serve an individual location using multiple technologies, each with its own maximum advertised download and upload speeds, latency flag, and business/residential category, a location can be included multiple times.
However, each technology offered to an individual location should have only one record for that technology and location combination.
The record should include a single maximum download speed, maximum upload speed, latency flag, and business/residential category reported for that technology.
If we were to place the values in the "Example" column from the table above into a comma separated format for upload, they would make a single data row (record) like this:
ABC Broadband,1000000121,50,1000,1000,1,B
This record can be translated as saying that at location 1000000121, ABC Broadband can offer low latency (latency code 1) business-grade (category code B) fiber (technology code 50) internet access with advertised bandwidths of 1000 Mbps downstream and 1000 Mbps upstream.
Additional Resources
Fixed Broadband Availability Location Lists