{"product_id":"national-hex-toolkit-2h-2026","title":"National Hex Toolkit (2H 2026)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe National Hex Toolkit is a broadband planning tool enabling ISPs and state broadband offices to exploit the latest available FCC data for network planning.  It also enables the user to distinguishing between “served or funded”, “underserved and unfunded”, and “unserved and unfunded” in a BEAD framework.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt reflects the March 3rd, 2026 release of FCC BDC Fabric v7 coverage data, reflecting networks nationwide as of 6-30-2025.  It will be updated with data from the FCC Fabric v8 soon. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2026 states will receive tens of billions of dollars of federal funding (ARP\/CPF and IIJA\/BEAD) for infrastructure grants, in addition to large amount of ISP investment.   This is a tool helps track the changing landscape of deployed networks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Broadband DATA Act in combination with the FCC's Broadband Data Collection (BDC) program results in a Fabric of locations and associated ISP coverage data that the FCC has associated with two geometries:  traditional census blocks and the H3 hexagonal grid.  The hexagonal grid enables an exceptionally high resolution (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/broadbandtoolkit.com\/pages\/whitepapers#first\"\u003eexample\u003c\/a\u003e) in rural areas, where census blocks tend to be large.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis single tool allows the user to explore coverage and technologies across \u003cem\u003e50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia\u003c\/em\u003e.  Large rural census blocks that characterize legacy coverage maps are replaced with a collection of precise polygons that show unambiguously where high quality coverage and specific technologies reside. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe National Hex Toolkit identifies the highest quality of coverage (100-20 Mbps, 25-3 Mbps, or less) present in each small area (H3 level 8).  It also identifies the presence by speed category of:  fiber, cable, DSL\/copper, licensed fixed wireless, unlicensed fixed wireless, and licensed-by-rule fixed wireless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Toolkit distinguishes between populated and unpopulated areas and shows the precise number of locations and units (think “homes passed”) within each populated hexagon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data sets include:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLocations and units (the language of the “Fabric”) per H3 level 8 hexagon.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBroadband offerings at three BEAD performance thresholds:\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eServed (100 Mbps \/ 20 Mbps)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnderserved (\u0026gt;= 25 Mbps \/ 3 Mbps but \u0026lt; 100 Mbps \/20 Mbps)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnserved (less than 25 Mbps \/ 3 Mbps)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFederal Programs:  FCC:  RDOF, CAF II, Connect USVI, and Bringing Puerto Rico Together.  NTIA:  Broadband Infrastructure Program and Tribal Connectivity.  USDA RUS:  Telephone Loan, Rural EConnectivity Program, and Community Connect, all seen through the lens of the BEAD NOFO as “enforceable commitments”.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSDA Metrics (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and various measures of rurality).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeasured network performance data (uplink and downlink speeds), service pricing, and other data provided by multiple third parties (not-for-profit and commercial) and in some cases aggregated by the NTIA.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCommunity Anchor Institutions (schools (k-12), libraries, medical \/ healthcare, public safety, universities \/ colleges \/ post-secondary, other \/ government, other \/ NGO)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e911 \/ PSAP boundaries\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOpportunity Zones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA vast collection of geographic boundaries, high resolution numerical data (visualized with a click of the mouse), streaming maps, and other tools.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDemographic and economic data is presented as visual and numerical heat maps:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePopulation density\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHousehold density\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHousing unit density\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncome per capita\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMean household income\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMedian household income\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoverty Line (reflecting HH size)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHousehold Size\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSNAP Participation Rate\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Toolkit also includes a set of point data (missing locations) reflecting state-level efforts to improve gaps in the national Fabric.  The data was collected over a period months, vetted, accepted by the FCC, and released to the public in 2023.  While also integrated into the Fabric, the separate point set shows where successful challenges occurred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTake a few minutes to read the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/files\/NatHex-Intro7.0.pdf?v=1776127464\" title=\"Introduction\"\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/files\/NatHex-Intro5.0.pdf?v=1733359418\" title=\"Introduction\"\u003e \u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/files\/NatHex-Intro_18c692c3-771e-4991-88f8-e8e30f21d6bb.pdf?v=1688195871\"\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e(a conceptual overview), the \u003ca title=\"Getting Started Guide\" href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/files\/NatHex-Start3.pdf?v=1706821144\"\u003eGetting Started Guide\u003c\/a\u003e and the site \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/files\/NatHex-License.pdf?v=1678251776\"\u003eLicense Agreement\u003c\/a\u003e.  You'll appreciate the breadth of what the Toolkit can do.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSome of the data sets described above are available only for the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, but not for Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis product is delivered via a digital download.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BroadbandToolkit.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47712683425955,"sku":null,"price":1495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0363\/0392\/9388\/products\/Area.jpg?v=1678242059","url":"https:\/\/broadbandtoolkit.com\/products\/national-hex-toolkit-2h-2026","provider":"Broadband Toolkit","version":"1.0","type":"link"}