3 Easy Steps to Meet Critical FCC Broadband Performance Testing Requirements

As federal funding programs that support broadband expansion continue to move forward, it should be no surprise that this funding comes with strings attached. This includes mandated performance testing requirements for broadband service providers (BSPs) to demonstrate they deliver the broadband experience promised to subscribers.
 

And the stakes are high. For instance, with the Alternative Connect America Cost Model (ACAM) and the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), BSPs who do not successfully complete the rigorous quarterly testing process risk losing up to 25 percent of their monthly funding! The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program will require award recipients to perform similar testing to ensure they meet specific capacity, latency, and reliability standards. That’s why now is the time to ensure compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) testing requirements. The good news is that there are easy ways to do it.

How To Get Ahead on Critical FCC Performance Testing Requirements 

The key to maintaining compliance is understanding your program requirements. Here are three steps to get ahead of broadband performance testing.  

1. Get familiar with the testing requirements. Ensure you fully understand all the testing requirements for the specific funding program you’re participating in. These include how many and which subscribers you need to test; timelines for pre-testing and official testing; the performance levels you need to meet for speed and latency; and how to submit your reports to the Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC).  
   
   
2. Understand the testing deadlines for your funding program. Knowing when to conduct your testing is critical, particularly if you’re participating in multiple funding programs. Stay on top of the deadlines for completing your quarterly speed and latency tests and uploading the results to USAC.  
   
   
3. Beware of penalties and how to avoid them. Non-compliance with FCC testing requirements can have significant ramifications. For instance, with RDOF, in the worst-case scenario (when you’re less than 55 percent compliant), as much as 25 percent of your monthly support will be withheld. Even during pre-testing, failure to submit your results will result in five percent of your funding being withheld. The good news is that any time the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) finds an issue, you have a year to correct it, and when you do, USAC will refund any withheld funds. 

Partner for Success with Speed and Performance Insights

Ensuring your testing practices are operational and analyzing the results effectively can be highly complex and time-consuming. The FCC requires that you run an upload and download speed test on 10 percent or up to 50 subscribers per funded speed tier per hour, six hours per day, for a seven-day testing period. In addition, on the same test groups, the BSP must also conduct a latency test each minute for the duration of the testing period. For one speed tier, that can be over 130,000 discrete tests per quarterly reporting period. How do you ensure the numbers you’re reporting meet the compliance requirements, so you don’t risk getting penalized? That’s where Calix can help with expert tools and guidance.
 

Calix provides BSPs with a comprehensive testing framework. Calix Unlimited Subscriber systems are enabled with an embedded test endpoint to support FCC and on-demand speed and latency testing. They integrate with Calix Speed and Performance Insights to provide BSPs with an all-in-one broadband quality of service testing solution that supports FCC performance measures testing, analysis, and reporting, leveraging a cloud-based global performance testing network.
 

Intuitive dashboards allow you to set up and initiate automated tests and analyze the results to see if you’re in compliance before you submit the results. Plus, we can provide expert guidance with our broadband performance testing service to implement your FCC testing framework and help you with the ongoing quarterly testing and analysis proactively so you can resolve issues before they impact your formal testing submissions.
 

With a reliable framework, broadband performance testing becomes simple, so you can focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional experiences for your subscribers and building value for your communities.  
 

Learn more about Speed and Performance Insights as an all-in-one solution to support FCC performance testing. Schedule a consult now.