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Verizon's new maps show up on the FCC's website.

April 7, 2017 by Kimberly Parks

Verizon's new maps show up on the FCC's website.

The maps are being used to determine the amount of funding required to expand the 4G LTE coverage in many rural areas, including part of the Southwest.

"While the FCC has not yet confirmed whether a map was requested, that's not the point of this case," said Adam T. Cohen, a lawyer with the Public Knowledge Project.

The FCC does not require broadband providers to maintain maps of their coverage in rural areas, but that information would help it determine which is the best option for consumers.

"This will help the FCC determine what the best way to fund this program is," said Cohen. "What the FCC has done in this case is to have the map used to determine which carriers will have enough money to implement the 4G LTE service in areas where they have no competition."

"It's also important for consumers as well to know that you're not paying as much for the coverage as you can tell and that's important to know in this case," said Jonathan A. Cohen, an attorney who specializes in rural issues. "It's also important for the consumer to know that that is a common practice in the U.S. and that's what the Commission is doing now."