Successfully Filing Broadband Deployment Data with USAC

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1 Successfully Filing Broadband Deployment Data with USAC

2 Meet our Team Alex Wolff Manager of Project and Product Management Bill Johnson Director of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 2

3 High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) Portal A means for collecting location-specific data from carriers across all Connect America Fund programs millions of individual records Real-time validation of data submissions Data storage and quality control API s and presentation layers for visibility of the collected data, with the public-facing side of the portal to provide information about the state of the broadband market at the national, regional and local levels 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 3

4 Filing Data Successfully in the HUBB High Quality Data: Avoids disruption to your payments Avoids non-compliance or defaults Drives public awareness of program success through mapping and analytics 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 4

5 Geolocation Methods A guide to successfully collecting broadband deployment data Bill Johnson

6 What is Geolocation? Geolocation is the process used to collect latitude and longitude (lat/long) coordinates representing a specific location on the earth. Latitude: Longitude: Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 6

7 Why do I need to know about Geolocation? The Rate of Return modernization order released by the FCC in March of 2016 requires carriers participating in modernized funds to supply geolocated deployment to the new HUBB portal The HUBB portal will be up and running in early 2017 Quality geolocated deployment data is the key to filing successfully with the HUBB We want you to be successful! The data will show the impact of Connect America funding and will appear on a public-facing map to display progress in expanding broadband throughout rural America To help carriers meet the requirements, USAC is o o Launching a data validator tool for checking the accuracy of geolocated deployment data prior to HUBB upload Publishing a guidance document to provide an overview of geolocation methods Keep in Mind: o You may find other benefits to having quality data on your broadband deployment locations 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential o It may be cheaper to collect quality data now rather than fixing low-quality data later or failing HUBB 7

8 Geolocation Data Collection Guidance New FCC Public Notice released defining locations to be collected Whenever possible, location coordinates should represent the structure being served Ideally at a point inside the structure footprint ( rooftop coordinate), such as: the network connection point at the structure front door At a minimum, coordinates should represent a point on the correct property or parcel of land where service is being delivered. Try to collect coordinates as close as possible to the structure being served Do not submit coordinates at the network termination node or pedestal used to serve the location For all methods, lat/long coordinates must be reported in decimal degrees format, to at least six decimal places Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 8

9 Three Geolocation Methods 1.Geolocation with GPS in the Field - Best results Performed in the field, with a smartphone, tablet or other GPS mobile device to collect Lat/Long Yields very high-quality results, removes any ambiguity and eliminates the need for additional data clean-up 2.Desktop Geolocation using Web-based Maps/Imagery - Very good results A manual process performed in an office, using a web application, when it is not feasible to go into the field Yields very good results, assuming that the web-based maps and imagery are good quality and that the location can be properly identified 3.Automated Address Geocoding - Good results Automates the process of converting large batches of street addresses into Lat/Long coordinates Has the most room for error. Accuracy depends on the quality of the input address data and the quality of the underlying reference data, which can be highly variable in rural areas 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 9

10 Geolocation with GPS in the Field Overview Most precise method for collecting lat/long data Use a GPS-enabled smartphone or tablet to collect lat/long coordinates Ensures that coordinates are gathered for the correct location Produces the most reliable results with the fewest errors Eliminates the need for additional verification or clean-up Recommended Collection Method Install an easy-to-use geolocation app on a smartphone or tablet (for free or at very low cost.) Capture coordinates during routine field work: installation, inspection or repair Things to Consider Perform setup, testing and any needed training before heading out in the field Plan the field work in advance; determine an optimal route or a set of locations for the same trip 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 10

11 Desktop Geolocation using Web-based Maps/Imagery Overview Useful when field collection is not an option Manual process - involves finding each location on a web-based map and then identifying lat/long Produces high quality, reliable results Recommended Collection Method Navigate (search, zoom, pan) to the location in a web-based map Turn on the imagery (i.e., aerial photo view) to view the specific structure Identify the lat/long coordinates within the application (usually a right click ) Lat: Long: Copy and Paste the lat/long coordinates into a file for upload into the HUBB portal Things to Consider Results may be less reliable if o Imagery is older and predates construction of buildout locations o It can be difficult to identify the correct structure among similar nearby 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 11

12 Automated Address Geocoding Overview An automated method that converts a large batch of addresses into lat/long coordinates. Low cost, but variable results Often requires manual review and clean-up Output quality depends on input and reference data quality Recommended Collection Method There are many different geocoders available (commercial, state GIS offices, open source, etc). Costs, capabilities, and output quality vary widely. State GIS Office geocoders tend be very high quality and are free to use Things to Consider Ensure addresses are accurate and complete; no PO boxes or billing addresses Missing or incorrect ZIP Codes, for example, can lead to serious errors Be aware of geocoder limitations. Automated processes often have difficulty handling certain situations, such as: Inconsistent address formatting - i.e., 742 West Main Street vs. 742 W Main St vs. 742 Main St W Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential Expect less than 100% of addresses to geocode successfully and check all results. 12

13 Automated Geocoder Potential Errors Rural addresses can be difficult to accurately geocode since reference data may be unreliable or incomplete. Rural geocoders typically use an interpolation process based on street address ranges: #1500 geocodes here In reality, uneven distribution may mean #1500 is far from the geocoded location Other potential accuracy issues include: Lat/Long result on the wrong side of the street (odd/even address polarity) Lat/Long result not offset from street centerline, greatly increasing risk that point falls outside of eligible area Geocoder may cascade to less granular geography: o No match at street level, but match at ZIP Code, so lat/long is for centroid of ZIP Code area 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 13

14 Methods Comparison - Example # Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 14

15 Methods Comparison - Example # Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 15

16 Summary Table The right method may be a mix of methods: GPS collection where practical during normal field operations Method Data Confidence Level of Effort Needed Pros Cons Geolocation with GPS in the Field Best Results: Yields extremely reliable and highly consistent results since the data collection is performed at the location in the field Highest: Coordinates are captured by physically traveling to the location, although effort is reduced if coordinates are collected when crews are already in the field Best accuracy and guarantee that the lat/long represent the actual deployment location Time consuming to travel to each location and requires some minimal setup/training for data collection via mobile app Desktop map/imagery collection to fill gaps State GIS Office geocoder where available Compare results from different solutions to find the best mix for your situation Desktop Geolocation using Web-based maps/imagery Automated Address Geocoding Very Good Results: Output is generally very reliable, but depends on quality of imagery and ability to properly identify locations on a web-based map Good Results: Results depend greatly on the quality of the address input data and the underlying reference data Medium: Coordinates are captured by reviewing imagery on a desktop/laptop and placing a point for each location Lowest: Addresses are automatically geocoded in batches, although results may need to be reviewed and potentially re-run or field verified (which would require more effort) High confidence in results and you only need a computer with an Internet connection Able to quickly process large batches of data Manual process to find each location on map, and then click and capture coordinates for each one Results may vary in completeness and accuracy, and some may not match actual location. May need software and expertise to run the geocoding process. Data cleanup and verification may be needed after addresses are geocoded 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 16

17 Using HUBB and the Data Validator Tips and tricks to successfully upload your location data Alex Wolff (again)

18 HUBB Portal Early 2017 launch Log in through e-file Upload, save, and certify data Validator Tool for testing your data before loading into HUBB Portal November 2016 launch (it s available now!) Available without logging in Upload data Does not save Does not check for duplicates 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 18

19 Data Formatting Instructions 10 page document 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 19

20 Pages Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential

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22 Pages Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential

23 Pages Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential

24 What Location Data are USAC Collecting? *require d Field Example SAC* Latitude* Longitude* Date of Deployment* Download/Upload Speed Tier* Address* City* State* 02/28/ Wisconsin Street Cawker City KS ZIP Code* # of Units* 3 HUBB Location ID (blank) 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 24

25 HUBB Portal Design Input 6 Price Cap Carriers 54 Rate of Return Carriers 6 Industry Trade Associations 11 Cost Consultants and Engineering Consultants 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential 25

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41 Thank you! Any Questions? 2016 Universal Service Administrative Co. Private and Confidential