@cyanheads/fcc-broadband-mcp-server
Access FCC broadband availability, coverage analysis, and digital divide data for US geographies and census blocks via MCP. STDIO or Streamable HTTP.
10 Tools • 2 Resources • 1 Prompt • 1 Skill
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**Public Hosted Server:** [https://fcc-broadband.caseyjhand.com/mcp](https://fcc-broadband.caseyjhand.com/mcp)
---
## Overview
FCC broadband data from Form 477 (June 2015 – June 2021) and the Broadband Data Collection (June 2022 onward). Geocode coordinates to census blocks, look up the ISPs and advertised speeds at a block, and summarize, compare, or rank geographies by unserved population for BEAD and equity research.
### Tools
| Tool | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `fcc_geocode_block` | Convert a lat/lon coordinate to a 2010-vintage census block FIPS code, with county and state identifiers |
| `fcc_search_availability` | List the providers and advertised speeds at a census block, filtered by technology and speed |
| `fcc_search_geographies` | Find state, county, congressional district, place, CBSA, and tribal GEOIDs by name |
| `fcc_get_coverage_summary` | Population by provider count for one geography, split by urban/rural and tribal/non-tribal |
| `fcc_compare_areas` | Rank coverage across several geographies of the same type, worst first |
| `fcc_find_underserved` | Rank the most underserved areas in a state or nationwide by unserved population |
| `fcc_search_providers` | Search holding companies by name, state, and technology; returns `hoconum` identifiers |
| `fcc_get_provider` | National coverage profile for one holding company: technologies and population per speed tier |
| `fcc_list_filing_periods` | List data vintages: Form 477 filing periods and BDC as-of dates |
| `fcc_list_downloads` | List BDC bulk data files for one as-of date |
### Resources
| Resource | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `fcc-broadband://geography/{type}/{id}/summary` | Coverage summary for one geography at 25 Mbps |
| `fcc-broadband://providers/list/{offset}` | One page of the Form 477 holding-company directory, 25 entries per page |
Resource data is also reachable through tools: `fcc_get_coverage_summary` for geographies, `fcc_search_providers` for holding companies.
### Prompts
| Prompt | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `broadband_equity_analysis` | Structure a digital divide analysis that chains FCC coverage with Census and BLS data |
### Skill
[`fcc-broadband-guide`](./skills/fcc-broadband-guide/SKILL.md) covers geography and holding-company identifier chains, comparable population scopes, and sampling limits. It ships with plugin installs, npm, Docker, and the desktop bundle, and is available over MCP at `skill://fcc-broadband-guide/SKILL.md`.
## Capability reference
### `fcc_geocode_block` tool
- `latitude` and `longitude` in decimal degrees, resolved against 2010 census boundaries through the FCC Geo API
- Returns `blockFips` (15 digits, ready for `fcc_search_availability`), `censusVintage`, `countyFips`, `countyName`, `stateFips`, `stateCode`, and `stateName`; coordinates over water or outside US coverage fail as `block_not_found`. Structured FCC backend faults fail as `geo_backend_unavailable` with guidance to retry the same coordinates later
---
### `fcc_search_availability` tool
- `block_fips` (15 digits, 2010 vintage) is required; `tech_filter` (Form 477 technology codes), `min_speed_down` (Mbps), and `consumer` (`true` consumer, `false` business) narrow the rows
- One row per offering with `hoconum`, `techCode` / `techLabel`, `maxDownloadMbps`, `maxUploadMbps`, `consumer`, and `business`, plus `totalProviders` counting distinct holding companies; an unfiltered block with no providers fails as `block_not_found`, while a filtered query that matches nothing returns an empty list with a `notice`
---
### `fcc_search_geographies` tool
- Required nonblank `name` matches a case-insensitive literal substring; optional `geography_type` is `state`, `county`, `cd`, `place`, `cbsa`, or `tribal`, `limit` defaults to 20 (max 100), and `offset` starts at 0
- Returns distinct `{ geography_type, geography_id, name }` matches in stable name/type/GEOID order, plus `count`, `offset`, and `nextOffset` only when more matches remain. Empty and past-end pages carry guidance; no total count is computed
- Uses the live FCC lookup with `year='2021'` even when the mirror is enabled. Include a location qualifier in `name` to narrow matches; CBSA codes do not establish state membership. Pass the selected type and GEOID to `fcc_get_coverage_summary`
---
### `fcc_get_coverage_summary` tool
- `geography_type` is one of `nation`, `state`, `county`, `cd`, `place`, `cbsa`, `tribal`; `geography_id` is required for every type but `nation`; `urban_rural_filter` (`all` / `R` / `U`) and `tribal_filter` (`all` / `T` / `N`) narrow the population
- Returns `population` by provider count (`noCoverage`, `oneProvider`, `twoProviders`, `threeOrMore`, `total`), `coveragePct`, `unservedPct`, `competitivePct`, and a per-segment `breakdown`. An empty demographic selection returns zero totals and a notice after confirming geography rows exist; a missing geography still fails as `geography_not_found`
- Required reads share a 48-second deadline (`coverage_timeout`); invalid geography inputs fail as `invalid_geography_combo` or `invalid_geography_id_shape`
- National coverage is named `United States` locally and retains `geography.id: "0"`; it needs no geography-name lookup
---
### `fcc_compare_areas` tool
- `geography_ids` of one `geography_type` (every type but `nation`), or `compare_all_states: true` for the 50 states plus DC; the first 300 distinct IDs are compared, with duplicates and excluded IDs disclosed. `sort_by` is `unserved_pct` (default), `unserved_pop`, `coverage_pct`, or `competitive_pct`
- Every sort ranks worst first, so `rank` 1 is the area most in need; rows carry `id`, `name` when resolved, the provider-count populations, and all three percentages. Fails as `missing_geography_ids`, `invalid_all_states_combo`, `invalid_geography_id_shape`, or `no_data_found`
- `unmatchedIds` identifies queried IDs without coverage rows, separately from IDs excluded by the comparison cap. Reads run in batches of at most 50; ranking happens once across all returned statistics
---
### `fcc_find_underserved` tool
- `state` (USPS state or territory code) scopes the search, otherwise it runs nationwide; `geography_type` is `county` (default), `cd`, `place`, or `cbsa`; `urban_rural_filter` defaults to `R`, `min_unserved_pop` to 1, and `limit` to 20 (max 100). Start `offset` at 0 and follow `nextOffset`
- Areas are ranked globally by `noCoverage`, with GEOID tie-breaking, before paging; rows carry `rank`, `id`, `name`, `oneProvider`, `total`, `unservedPct`, and `coveragePct`. `totalFound` counts matches before paging. An unrecognized `state` fails as `unknown_state`; notices distinguish no matching areas from an exhausted page
---
### `fcc_search_providers` tool
- `name_search` (case-insensitive partial name), `state`, and `tech_filter` are all optional and must hold on the same filing; `limit` defaults to 50 (max 200). Start `offset` at 0 and follow `nextOffset`; unknown USPS state or territory codes fail as `unknown_state` before querying
- Deduplicated holding companies with `hoconum`, `holdingCompanyName`, and national `statesServed` / `techCodes` that the filters never narrow. No match returns an empty list with a `notice`; a live search over its 30-second budget fails as `live_search_timeout`
- A full-corpus mirror (`FCC_MIRROR_ENABLED=true`) pages the complete matching company set in `hoconum` order and reports `totalCount`. Against the live API, `scanTruncated: true` marks a sample and withholds `totalCount`; continuation covers only the sampled set, which can change between calls
---
### `fcc_get_provider` tool
- `hoconum` (digits only) from `fcc_search_providers` or the providers directory resource
- Returns `techCodes` / `techLabels` and `speedTierPopulation`, which counts each person once and omits empty tiers; business-only carriers come back with both lists empty. Fails as `provider_not_found`, or `live_provider_timeout` past the 30-second budget
---
### `fcc_list_filing_periods` tool
- Always returns the Form 477 periods; `include_bdc: true` adds BDC as-of dates when credentials are configured
- `periods` newest first, each with `asOfDate` and `source` (`form477` or `bdc`), plus `form477Count`, `bdcCount`, and `hasBdcCredentials`; missing credentials leave `bdcCount` at 0 rather than raising an error
---
### `fcc_list_downloads` tool
- `as_of_date` (`YYYY-MM-DD`) is required; filter by `data_type` (`availability` default, or `challenge`), `category` (`Summary`, `State`, `Provider`), `technology_type` (`Fixed Broadband`, `Mobile Broadband`, `Mobile Voice`), `state`, and `provider_name`; `limit` defaults to 50 (max 200), paged with `offset`
- Returns file metadata and a `downloadUrl` per file, not file contents; `totalFiles` counts every match and `nextOffset` is omitted on the last page. Fails as `invalid_as_of_date` for an unsupported date
- Available to MCP clients only when both BDC credentials are configured at startup. Otherwise the HTTP landing page retains its disabled card and setup guidance
---
### `fcc-broadband://geography/{type}/{id}/summary` resource
- `type` takes the seven `fcc_get_coverage_summary` geography types; `id` is a FIPS GEOID checked for digit count, `0` for `nation`
- Fixed at 25/3 Mbps and satellite-inclusive `acfosw`; returns `population`, the three percentages, and `segments` as `application/json`. Use `fcc_get_coverage_summary` for the terrestrial default or other thresholds and filters
---
### `fcc-broadband://providers/list/{offset}` resource
- `offset` pages the directory 25 entries at a time in `hoconum` order; start at `0` and follow `nextOffset`
- Entries carry `hoconum` and, when resolved, `holdingCompanyName`; each page reports `total` and `count`. To find one company by name, use `fcc_search_providers`
---
### `broadband_equity_analysis` prompt
- Arguments: `region` (free text) and `focus` (`underserved`, `rural`, `tribal`, or `all`), both required
- Returns one user message laying out a five-step analysis: baseline coverage, focus area, demographic cross-reference, provider landscape, and historical screening context
## Features
Built on [`@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core`](https://github.com/cyanheads/mcp-ts-core): stdio and Streamable HTTP transports, pluggable auth (`none` / `jwt` / `oauth`), swappable storage (`in-memory`, `filesystem`, `Supabase`, `Cloudflare KV/R2/D1`), structured logging with optional OpenTelemetry tracing.
FCC-specific:
- Three FCC sources, all US government public-domain data: Form 477 on FCC Open Data (Socrata), the BDC Public Data API, and the FCC Geo API
- Every Form 477 tool and resource works without credentials and reads the June 2021 filing, the last one; BDC data is exposed only as bulk-file manifests. `fcc_list_downloads` is advertised to MCP clients only when both `FCC_BDC_USERNAME` and `FCC_BDC_HASH_VALUE` are configured
- The area tools accept every nonempty alphabetical combination of `a` DSL, `c` cable, `f` fiber, `o` other, `s` satellite, and `w` fixed wireless. The default `acfow` excludes satellite; explicit `acfosw` includes it. Deployment tools use numeric technology codes instead
- Area speed keys select download/upload pairs in Mbps: `0.2` → 0.2/0.2, `4` → 4/1, `10` → 10/1, `25` → 25/3 (default), `100` → 100/10, `250` → 250/25, and `1000` → 1000/100. Historical population aggregates cannot establish current BEAD eligibility or address service; the 100/10 tier does not establish 100/20 availability
- Coverage analysis reads the pre-aggregated Area Table (`xvwq-qtaj`), not the block-level deployment table, so state- and county-scale queries stay fast
- Optional local Form 477 mirror (`FCC_MIRROR_ENABLED=true`) serves queries from SQLite, falling back to the live API for anything not ingested
Agent-friendly output:
- Filter echo: search, summary, and ranking tools return `appliedFilters`, and every Form 477 result carries `dataVintage`
- Partial results say so: `scanTruncated` and `scanRowCap` flag a result drawn from a capped upstream scan (`fcc_search_providers`, `fcc_find_underserved`), and an empty match returns a `notice` instead of an error
- Typed failures: reasons such as `block_not_found`, `invalid_geography_id_shape`, and `credentials_required`, each with a recovery hint
## Getting started
### Public Hosted Instance
A public instance is available at `https://fcc-broadband.caseyjhand.com/mcp` — no installation required. Point any MCP client at it via Streamable HTTP:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"fcc-broadband-mcp-server": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://fcc-broadband.caseyjhand.com/mcp"
}
}
}
```
### Self-Hosted / Local
Add the following to your MCP client configuration file.
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"fcc-broadband-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "bunx",
"args": ["@cyanheads/fcc-broadband-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}
```
Or with npx (no Bun required):
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"fcc-broadband-mcp-server": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@cyanheads/fcc-broadband-mcp-server@latest"],
"env": {
"MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE": "stdio",
"MCP_LOG_LEVEL": "info"
}
}
}
}
```
For Streamable HTTP, set the transport and start the server:
```sh
MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE=http MCP_HTTP_PORT=3010 bun run start:http
# Server listens at http://localhost:3010/mcp
```
### Prerequisites
- [Bun v1.4.0](https://bun.sh/) or higher (or Node.js v24+).
- Optional: FCC BDC credentials for `fcc_list_downloads` and BDC filing periods. Generate a token at [broadbandmap.fcc.gov](https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov) under "Manage API Access".
- Optional: a Socrata app token (`FCC_OPENDATA_APP_TOKEN`) for higher Form 477 rate limits.
### Installation
1. **Clone the repository:**
```sh
git clone https://github.com/cyanheads/fcc-broadband-mcp-server.git
```
2. **Navigate into the directory:**
```sh
cd fcc-broadband-mcp-server
```
3. **Install dependencies:**
```sh
bun install
```
4. **Configure environment:**
```sh
cp .env.example .env
# edit .env and set FCC_BDC_USERNAME, FCC_BDC_HASH_VALUE, and FCC_OPENDATA_APP_TOKEN as needed
```
## Configuration
| Variable | Description | Default |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `FCC_BDC_USERNAME` | FCC account email for the BDC API. Needed by `fcc_list_downloads` and for BDC dates in `fcc_list_filing_periods`. | none |
| `FCC_BDC_HASH_VALUE` | API token hash from broadbandmap.fcc.gov "Manage API Access". Pairs with `FCC_BDC_USERNAME`. | none |
| `FCC_OPENDATA_APP_TOKEN` | Socrata app token; raises FCC Open Data rate limits. | none |
| `FCC_MIRROR_ENABLED` | Serve Form 477 queries from the local SQLite mirror where its coverage allows. | `false` |
| `FCC_MIRROR_PATH` | Directory holding the mirror SQLite files. | `data/fcc-mirror` |
| `MCP_TRANSPORT_TYPE` | Transport: `stdio` or `http`. | `stdio` |
| `MCP_HTTP_PORT` | HTTP server port. | `3010` |
| `MCP_SESSION_MODE` | HTTP session mode: `stateless`, `stateful`, or `auto`. | `stateless` |
| `MCP_AUTH_MODE` | Authentication: `none`, `jwt`, or `oauth`. | `none` |
| `MCP_LOG_LEVEL` | Log level (`debug`, `info`, `warning`, `error`, etc.). | `info` |
| `LOGS_DIR` | Directory for log files (Node.js only). | `/logs` |
| `STORAGE_PROVIDER_TYPE` | Storage backend: `in-memory`, `filesystem`, `supabase`, `cloudflare-kv/r2/d1`. | `in-memory` |
| `OTEL_ENABLED` | Enable [OpenTelemetry](https://github.com/cyanheads/mcp-ts-core/tree/main/docs/telemetry). | `false` |
See [`.env.example`](./.env.example) for the full list of optional overrides.
BDC credentials can come from the process environment or `.env`; process values take precedence. Empty, whitespace-only, and unsubstituted placeholder values count as absent. Restart after configuring both credentials to enable `fcc_list_downloads`; Form 477 filing periods remain available without them.
## Running the server
### Local development
- **Build and run:**
```sh
# One-time build
bun run rebuild
# Run the built server
bun run start:stdio
# or
bun run start:http
```
- **Run checks and tests:**
```sh
bun run devcheck # Lint, format, typecheck, security
bun run test # Vitest test suite
bun run lint:mcp # Validate MCP definitions against spec
```
### Docker
```sh
docker build -t fcc-broadband-mcp-server .
docker run --rm -p 3010:3010 fcc-broadband-mcp-server
```
The Dockerfile defaults to HTTP transport and stateless session mode, logging to `/var/log/fcc-broadband-mcp-server`. OpenTelemetry peer dependencies are installed by default — build with `--build-arg OTEL_ENABLED=false` to omit them. The image also ships the mirror scripts and a writable `data/` directory.
### Local Form 477 mirror
Form 477 is frozen at the June 2021 filing, so it can be ingested once into a local SQLite index. The mirror is off by default, and the full corpus is about 9 GB of source data and takes hours to ingest, so the bootstrap can be scoped to the states you query:
```sh
bun run mirror:init -- --states 11,53 # specific states by 2-digit FIPS (11 = DC, 53 = WA)
bun run mirror:init -- --full # the whole corpus
bun run mirror:verify # coverage, row counts, SQLite integrity
```
Then set `FCC_MIRROR_ENABLED=true`. In Docker, run the same scripts with `docker exec bun run mirror:init -- --states 11,53`. Run them from a source checkout or the image: the scripts import through the `@/` path alias, which an npm install does not map.
- Block and geography lookups serve from the mirror once the queried state is fully ingested; anything else falls back to the live API.
- Geography discovery and name resolution always use the live 2021 lookup: the mirror does not retain its year column. Missing names do not discard coverage statistics.
- `fcc_search_providers`, `fcc_get_provider`, and geographies with no state in their GEOID (`cbsa`, `tribal`, `nation`) serve from the mirror only after a `--full` ingest.
- Mirror name search matches word prefixes (`comc` finds "Comcast") where the live API matches any substring (`mcast`), so a mid-word fragment can return fewer results.
- The ingest is idempotent and resumes an interrupted run from its saved cursor. Set `FCC_OPENDATA_APP_TOKEN` first for a full ingest. Bun uses the built-in `bun:sqlite`; Node.js needs the optional `better-sqlite3` peer dependency.
## Project structure
| Directory | Purpose |
|:---|:---|
| `src/index.ts` | `createApp()` entry point — registers tools, resources, and prompts and inits services. |
| `src/config` | Server-specific environment variable parsing and validation with Zod. |
| `src/mcp-server/tools` | Tool definitions (`*.tool.ts`). Ten tools across FCC Open Data, the BDC API, and the Geo API. |
| `src/mcp-server/resources` | Resource definitions (`*.resource.ts`). Geography summary and provider directory. |
| `src/mcp-server/prompts` | Prompt definitions (`*.prompt.ts`). Broadband equity analysis prompt. |
| `src/services/open-data` | FCC Open Data (Socrata) service for Form 477 deployment, area, and provider tables; `mirror/` holds the local SQLite mirror. |
| `src/services/bdc-api` | BDC Public Data API service — authenticated filing periods and download manifests. |
| `src/services/geo-api` | FCC Geo API service — lat/lon to census block FIPS. |
| `scripts/` | Build, devcheck, and packaging scripts, plus `fcc-mirror-init.ts` / `fcc-mirror-verify.ts`. |
| `skills/` | Published broadband-analysis guide, also served as an MCP skill resource. |
| `tests/` | Unit and integration tests mirroring `src/`. |
## Development guide
See [`CLAUDE.md`](./CLAUDE.md) for development guidelines and architectural rules. The short version:
- Handlers throw, framework catches — no `try/catch` in tool logic
- Use `ctx.log` for request-scoped logging, `ctx.state` for tenant-scoped storage
- Register new tools and resources via the barrels in `src/mcp-server/*/definitions/index.ts`
- Wrap external API calls: validate raw → normalize to domain type → return output schema; never fabricate missing fields
- Socrata returns every field as a string, so parse counts and speeds (`has_0`–`has_3more`, `maxaddown`, `maxadup`) explicitly
## Contributing
Issues are welcome. Run checks and tests before submitting:
```sh
bun run devcheck
bun run test
```
## License
Apache-2.0 — see [LICENSE](LICENSE) for details.