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6,000-Mile Road Trip Tests Wireless Maps

cell tower
Justin Smith/Wikimedia

A Vermont state official has conducted a 6,000-mile road trip around the state to fact-check the accuracy of wireless coverage maps.
Telecommunications infrastructure specialist Corey Chase says the effort involved six cellphones, a state-owned Prius and an app from a software developer in Bulgaria.
Vermont Public Radio reports Chase undertook the journey to prove there are many places in the state where there are no signals available.

State Telecommunications Director Clay Purvis says the trip was prompted by cellphone providers showing maps that indicate the entire state is covered. The Federal Communications Commission uses those maps to determine what areas of the country qualify for grants to boost service.

Purvis says the trip has prompted an FCC investigation into the maps.

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