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Submission Portal Closed

Currently, the Submission Portal is no longer accepting data submissions. Data submissions for the 2025 collection will reopen in 2025 for submissions. Please contact DHCD at broadband@dhcd.virginia.gov

October 2024 Guidelines

The collected data will be used to enhance the information in Virginia's Commonwealth Collection broadband map, which will be updated annually with latest coverage information. The information in the Submission Guidelines was derived from FCC verbiage for enhanced data collection processes. The CSV and GIS Guidelines are line with the FCC Broadband Data Collection specifications.

Submission Guidelines (2024)

CSV and GIS Guidelines (2024)

2024 Example Files

The following example files for both .csv and GIS shapefiles were provided as an example of how information should be formatted before submitting to DHCD.

CSV FILE - PREFERRED FORMAT

.csv files are comma-separated values that are already used to fulfill the requirements of the FCC Broadband Data Collection upload. The information in the .csv files contain the same address information as GIS shapefiles without the need for GIS software.

Important information about .csv

.csv files only contain the address information needed to convert physical addresses to Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric) location IDs. It is recommended to use software other than Excel or other spreadsheet software. Fabric addresses exceeds Excel's limits by 370%.

DOWNLOAD SAMPLE

GIS SHAPEFILES - ALTERNATIVE FORMAT

GIS files may be uploaded separately or zipping them in a .zip file. ESRI Shapefiles must contain at minimum, the mandatory files listed below. You may use ESRI ArcGIS or free open-source solutions like QGIS.

ESRI Shapefile mandatory files

.shp contains the geometry

.shx contains the shape index positions

.dbf stores the attributes and object IDs

.prj coordinate and projection system

Other accepted GIS files

ESRI FileGDB, GeoJSON, and GeoPackage

DOWNLOAD SAMPLE

How is data processed?

After your submission, the information is handled in a "hands off" approach with automatic scripts to create and update the information on the Commonwealth Connection portal.

1. Provider Data Submission

Each internet provider prepares data to be submitted according to CSV or GIS file specifications.

2. Secured and Private Storage

All data submitted by each provider will be securely stored on DHCD's servers in order to protect sensitive information.

3. Automatic Data Processing Scripts

To protect sensitive information, submitted data will be processed by scripts that will analyze the tables and store it in a secure database that will be used to develop the final Virginia Broadband Availability Map.

4. Virginia Broadband Availability Map

The Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (Fabric) unique addresses will be used to calculate percentage of broadband coverage for each census block. The final map will show the difference between the data submitted to the FCC vs the Virginia collected data.

For Help: broadband@dhcd.virginia.gov