Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga has moved to “designate and authenticate” the ASG Technology Office (ASGTO) as American Samoa’s Primary Entity to submit “verified broadband data” under the guidance of the federal Broadband Data Task Force (BDTF).

The governor provided the official designation in a May 16 letter to Kamala D. Hart, the Intergovernmental Affairs Outreach Liaison, at the FCC’s Office of Governmental Affairs.

Lemanu’s letter puts to rest concerns from those in the industry that ASG may end up outsourcing this new FCC requirement service to an outside vendor, resulting in more money spent by ASG.

ASGTO — which comes under the Governor’s Office —  is also authorized to provide the U.S Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with the data for the Broadband Data Collection (BDC) system — as dictated by federal law.

“In close working relationship with the BDTF,” the governor informed Hart that the ASGTO “shall gather and analyze broadband available data from all of the broadband providers in American Samoa.”

Furthermore, it will employ sound and reliable methodology in collecting, organizing, and verifying the available data submitted. Additionally, the ASGTO will follow the same process as the providers, submitting their annual data filings and certification of the report by a certified professional engineer employed/ contracted by ASGTO, and is knowledgeable in generating BDC coverage maps.

The governor designated his Chief of Staff, Tuimavave T. Laupola as the point-of-contact, and he will also lead ASGTO.

Last month, the BDTF — together with four other offices and bureaus of the FCC — issued a public notice providing guidance to state, local and tribunal government entities for filing verified broadband and available data as part of the broadband data collection (BDC) system.

Specifically, the public notice explains the system and process the FCC will use to authenticate entities purporting to file on behalf of state, local, or Tribal governmental entities; and sets forth procedures for identifying state, local, and Tribal governmental entities with primary responsibility for mapping or tracking broadband internet access service coverage within their jurisdictions.

The guidance is provided in advance of the June 30, 2022 opening of the first BDC filing window, according to the FCC notice (on www.fcc.gov), which also provides background information on the federal law enacted in March 2020.

The law requires FCC to engage in — among other things — “the biannual collection and dissemination of granular data . . . relating to the availability and quality of service with respect to terrestrial fixed, fixed wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband internet access service.”

ASGTO BACKGROUND

ASGTO was established by executive order last September, and the order states that the Executive Branch currently does not have a centralized information technology office, and information technology is a key part of government operations, and a full time information technology staff plays a vital role in identifying and responding to cyber security threats. (See Samoa News edition Sept. 08, 2021 for details.)

In his State of the Territory Comprehensive Report in January to lawmakers, the governor provided a summary update of the ASGTO, with plans to build out a central, secure ASG network, — the “ASGnet”. (See Samoa News edition Jan. 18, 2022 for details.)