Cordova Wireless challenges FCC broadband maps, says waterways and islands missing

Cordova Wireless Communications filed formal objections with the Federal Communications Commission on May 22, 2026, documenting that federal broadband funding maps exclude coastal waterways and remote islands where Alaskans fish, hunt, and travel. The company argues the omissions could cut off support for over-water cell service that residents depend on for safety and commerce.

The carrier submitted comments in response to the commission's May 1, 2026 public notice seeking input on Version 1.2 of the Alaska Connect Fund Eligible-Areas Map. The filing flagged waterways used for business, sport, and tourism that are omitted from the map. It also noted that Perry Island in Prince William Sound appears on the map with eligible coverage hexes, but nearby Naked Island and Johnstone Island near Cordova are bare of eligible hexes.

Cordova Wireless stated it has built many sites solely to provide telecommunications service over water. The filing argued that the lack of eligible hexes without adequate justification violates the Administrative Procedure Act, citing Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC.

The bureau has been tasked with ensuring support is targeted to where consumers live, work, and travel in remote Alaska. Version 1.2 is missing areas where citizens in coastal Alaska work and travel over water, the filing said.

The carrier also found it incongruous that red ineligible hexes and blue eligible hexes are bundled close together in certain instances. Such grouping does not seem consistent with how spectrum propagation behaves, the filing said.

Cordova Wireless noted the 15-business-day turnaround time from map release to comment date makes full vetting difficult. The carrier said it is meeting with its technical mapping team and will provide the bureau with more detail as it moves forward.

Kenneth C. Johnson, a telecommunications attorney representing Cordova Wireless, filed the comments in the commission's WC Docket No. 23-328. The commission has not announced a timeline for revising the map.