Notice of Meeting, 74221 [2024-20627]
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understanding of internet use. Notably,
we have limited ability to reliably
estimate variables like internet adoption
for individual counties or other smaller
geographies and populations. Data from
the NTIA internet Use Survey can be
used to estimate internet use at the
national and state levels and for a range
of demographic groups. However, it
cannot provide estimates for counties,
census tracts, or other small areas. The
ACS comes closer to fulfilling this
task—at least for the indicators enabled
by the three computer and internet use
questions it contains—but can only shed
light on less populous areas by
aggregating five consecutive years’
worth of survey responses.5 While
invaluable for many purposes, a fiveyear time scale is not ideal for tasks like
conducting yearly program evaluation
or studying the impacts of relatively
sudden changes.
Last year, NTIA and the Census
Bureau began an experimental project to
study the feasibility of—and ultimately
to produce—estimates of internet
adoption for small, sub-state areas
during a single year to address this
knowledge gap and better serve the
policymaking process. Using techniques
that have been successfully employed in
other data products,6 Census Bureau
experts are combining existing data
from key household surveys with
auxiliary data that are known to
correlate with internet adoption rates.
By using a predictive model, the Census
Bureau team can produce estimates for
less populous geographies or groups
that have both smaller margins of error
than equivalent estimates based on
survey data alone and reduced risk that
such estimates can be used to identify
individual respondents. Those two
features of small area modeling make it
possible to publish more granular
estimates than would otherwise be
permissible or recommended for
estimates generated entirely from survey
data.
For this first phase of Project LEIA,
the Census Bureau team produced an
experimental model to estimate the
proportion of households in each U.S.
county that subscribed to wired internet
service in 2022.7 To accomplish this,
ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1
5 See
ACS ‘‘Areas Published,’’ available at https://
www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/geographyacs/areas-published.html.
6 See, e.g., U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area
Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE) Program,
available at https://www.census.gov/programssurveys/saipe.html.
7 Specifically, the metric being modeled is
households reporting a subscription to ‘‘broadband
(high speed) internet service such as cable, fiber
optic, or DSL service installed in this household.’’
While dial-up internet service—which by definition
is also a ‘‘wired’’ internet service—is not included
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Census used the direct survey estimates
for wired internet adoption from the
2022 ACS in combination with several
variables related to subscribership
levels, including each county’s median
household income, educational
attainment level, and availability of
fixed broadband services offering at
least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps
upload speeds. A complete feasibility
report detailing the methodology used
in this model, as well as the
experimental estimates themselves and
related materials, is available at https://
www.census.gov/data/experimentaldata-products/local-estimates-ofinternet-adoption.html.
As we prepare to continue this
important collaboration with the Census
Bureau, NTIA invites all suggestions for
improvements to the initial
experimental model. We also welcome
suggestions about how to prioritize
future expansion of Project LEIA’s
scope. The following questions serve as
a non-exhaustive guide to some of the
issues commenters may wish to address:
1. Should NTIA be aware of any
potential applications where Project
LEIA could make a particularly
substantial contribution to policy
research or development? Would any
future work on Project LEIA help
improve or expand these contributions?
2. In the feasibility report,8 the
Census Bureau describes the
methodology it used in the experimental
model and lists a number of potential
predictor variables it tested before
selecting the ones used in these initial
estimates. Are there additional variables
or data sources that should be
considered to improve the model’s
predictive power? Should we consider
any methodological refinements or
modifications to this model to improve
its performance?
3. While the current experimental
model only produces estimates at the
county level, the same principles can
potentially be applied for other small
geographies and populations. During the
next phase of Project LEIA, NTIA and
the Census Bureau intend to experiment
with creating census tract-level
here (and falls under a different answer choice in
the relevant ACS question), it was an extremely
uncommon type of internet service by 2022.
According to the 2022 ACS, approximately 0.1
percent of households used only a dial-up internet
service. See 2022 American Community Survey
questionnaire at 9, available at https://
www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/
methodology/questionnaires/2022/quest22.pdf;
Census Bureau Table S2801, available at https://
data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2022.S2801.
8 U.S. Census Bureau, Local Estimates of internet
Adoption: Feasibility Report, available at https://
www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/
local-estimates-of-internet-adoption.html.
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74221
estimates. Are there other small
geographies or populations for which
model-based estimates of internet
adoption might be beneficial? What
relevant data sources at that level could
be considered to help generate these
estimates?
4. In this first phase, we decided to
analyze the percentage of households
subscribed to wired internet services.
We did this because (a) the variable is
useful for policymaking and (b)
sufficient data were available to
accurately fit a model. However, this is
not the only metric that possibly could
be modeled through future work. In
addition to considering other variables
from the ACS questions on computer
and internet use, we are also interested
in applying small area modeling to more
detailed questions from the NTIA
internet Use Survey. What metrics from
either survey could we prioritize for
future work under Project LEIA?
5. Is there anything else NTIA should
take into consideration when
contemplating the further development
of Project LEIA?
Stephanie Weiner,
Chief Counsel, National Telecommunications
and Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024–20645 Filed 9–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510–60–P
COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS
Notice of Meeting
Per 45 CFR chapter XXI 2102.3, the
next meeting of the U.S. Commission of
Fine Arts is scheduled for September
19, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. and will be held
via online videoconference. Items of
discussion may include buildings,
infrastructure, parks, memorials, and
public art.
Draft agendas, the link to register for
the online public meeting, and
additional information regarding the
Commission are available on our
website: www.cfa.gov. Inquiries
regarding the agenda, as well as any
public testimony, should be addressed
to Thomas Luebke, Secretary, U.S.
Commission of Fine Arts, at the above
address; by emailing cfastaff@cfa.gov; or
by calling 202–504–2200. Individuals
requiring sign language interpretation
for the hearing impaired should contact
the Secretary at least 10 days before the
meeting date.
Dated: September 6, 2024 in Washington,
DC.
Zakiya N. Walters,
Administrative Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024–20627 Filed 9–11–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6330–01–P
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 177 (Thursday, September 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 74221]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-20627]
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COMMISSION OF FINE ARTS
Notice of Meeting
Per 45 CFR chapter XXI 2102.3, the next meeting of the U.S.
Commission of Fine Arts is scheduled for September 19, 2024, at 9:00
a.m. and will be held via online videoconference. Items of discussion
may include buildings, infrastructure, parks, memorials, and public
art.
Draft agendas, the link to register for the online public meeting,
and additional information regarding the Commission are available on
our website: www.cfa.gov. Inquiries regarding the agenda, as well as
any public testimony, should be addressed to Thomas Luebke, Secretary,
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, at the above address; by emailing
[email protected]; or by calling 202-504-2200. Individuals requiring
sign language interpretation for the hearing impaired should contact
the Secretary at least 10 days before the meeting date.
Dated: September 6, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Zakiya N. Walters,
Administrative Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-20627 Filed 9-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6330-01-P