WASHINGTON (WV News) — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., has “concerns” about the Federal Communication Commission’s newly released draft broadband coverage maps.

Capito, who has advocated for the agency to update its maps through her Capito Connect program and has contributed to the development of the Broadband DATA Act of 2020, took to Twitter Friday to encourage constituents to check the accuracy of the new maps.

“Following the release of the FCC’s draft broadband maps today, I have concerns with how they represent West Virginia’s coverage,” Capito said in a tweet.

“These maps, which I have long advocated and also provided funds for, will ultimately play a critical role in our efforts to bridge the digital divide, which is why I will be continuing to work with the FCC to see that West Virginians are accurately represented on these maps. In the meantime, please visit the FCC’s map page to make sure your address is accurately represented,” she said.

The new maps display where internet services are available across the United States, based on internet service providers’ reports to the FCC, according to the agency.

The map will be updated “continuously” to improve its accuracy.

Its results will be used to allocate $42 billion in federal funds to states and territories to help expand access to affordable high-speed internet through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., also released a statement Friday commenting on the maps.

“After years of pushing the FCC to update their incorrect broadband coverage maps, the day is finally here,” he said. “I am pleased the FCC has taken our feedback — including over 2,400 speed tests from West Virginians that prove their maps are incorrect — to update these coverage maps and ensure everyone has a voice in this process. I fought to ensure that anyone can challenge the accuracy of these coverage maps, and I encourage every West Virginian to check their coverage on the FCC’s updated map and submit a challenge if it is wrong before January 13th.”

Information released Friday by the Pew Charitable Trusts highlights several areas of concern with the new maps.

Speed tests, a common tool for crowdsourcing maps of broadband service, are not considered by the FCC as sufficient evidence on their own for challenging fixed service on the map, although the tests will be allowed for challenging mobile service.

Additionally, the map only shows if broadband service is “available,” but doesn’t mention affordability or quality of the service.

“The FCC’s new map is far more sophisticated than its predecessors, but its structure raises more sophisticated challenges as well,” Pew’s research says. “Improving the accuracy of the map through this first public challenge window — before the National Telecommunications and Information Administration sets the funding allocation for the BEAD program — will be critical to ensure that each state has sufficient funding to make progress in closing the digital divide.”

The window to challenge the service availability data is now open.

For more information, visit www.broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home#/