Last July, we covered the basics of FCC Form 477. Due twice a year, the first 2016 submission deadline of March 1 for data as of December 31, 2015 is fast-approaching. Before you know it, this early spring deadline will be here, but you can get a head start by preparing now. According to the FCC, a national average of 387 hours (or about nine weeks’ work) is spent researching, crafting and submitting each Form 477 response- so let’s take a look at the three major steps to submitting the required service information and the ways Mapcom can help you consolidate the process.
Census Data Preparation
Subscriber locations need to be associated with the correct Census Tract and Block for the different reports. Mapcom Systems can assist clients with verifying structures and utilizing census data to accurately report to the FCC. Sourcing information using Census shapefiles and processing this data through M4 Universal Translator, our process allows users to see all pertinent information overlaid in their M4 projects.
Prepare Text File Summaries
After all addresses are associated to their respective census tracts/blocks, the records must be sorted by speeds, technology, customer type, and provisioning method. Mapcom Systems’ FCC Support enrollment includes correlating and formatting this information into the appropriate comma delimited text files for problem-free submission to the FCC’s 477 Electronic Filing System. Mapcom Systems can provide summaries as both .csv files (for easy upload to the FCC’s 477 Electronic Filing System), and as readable .xls files. The summaries are based on the correlated datasets to provide an easy way to review before submission.
Submit your Data to the FCC 477 Electronic Filing System
Manually entering data into the FCC website can cost your team countless hours. Take advantage of Mapcom’s preformatted .csv and .txt files to save time and effort. Whether you provide broadband service, wireless service, or both, our assistance will save your team substantial time in form submission.
If you’re interested in Mapcom’s FCC Form 477 assistance, or you simply want to learn more about our processes, contact us today.