BowMaps documentation
BowMaps is an MCP server for infrastructure and market questions: where fiber, data centres, power and mobile networks are, what building fiber would cost and return, and how big building-services markets are. It answers in the conversation, with interactive maps and charts in apps that show MCP App views (Claude, ChatGPT), and with text elsewhere.
Connecting
- Claude: Customize → Connectors → Add custom connector →
https://app.bowmaps.com/mcp, then Connect. - Claude Code:
claude mcp add --transport http bowmaps https://app.bowmaps.com/mcp - ChatGPT: with developer mode on, add
https://app.bowmaps.com/mcpas a custom MCP server.
You sign in with Microsoft (work or school accounts), Google or a one-time email code. BowMaps is an invite-only beta: to request access, email f.kauker@gmail.com.
Tools
Every tool is read-only: it queries a fixed dataset and never changes anything.
bowmaps_describe_schema: the tables, scenario macros and worked use cases; the assistant reads it first.bowmaps_query: one read-only SQL query (DuckDB with spatial and H3), returning a compact table.bowmaps_show_map: an interactive map of catalog layers or a query, styled by column, with a legend.bowmaps_show_chart: a chart of a query (Vega-Lite).bowmaps_refresh_layer,bowmaps_get_features,bowmaps_viewport_stats: called by the map itself, for fresh tiles, clicked features and on-screen counts.
Things to ask
- Which of the 400G sites are within 5 km of a 345 kV substation? Map them by voltage.
- Map Zayo, Lumen and Uniti fiber around Ashburn, with the data centres.
- What does it cost per home to build fiber in Franklin County, Ohio?
- With $500M, which PJM counties should we build first at 80% coverage?
- How big is the HVAC services opportunity in El Paso?
Data and sources
The data was compiled from public sources; models and derived tables are BowMaps' own. It can be incomplete or out of date, and its figures are estimates.
- Carrier networks: routes and sites from the public network maps of Zayo, Uniti/Windstream, Arelion and Lumen, plus state and federal broadband layers.
- Facilities: PeeringDB and public ArcGIS Online layers; some positions geocoded with Mapbox.
- Power: HIFLD transmission lines and substations, EIA power plants, NERC regions and ISO/RTO areas.
- Fiber build model and broadband: US Census tracts; roads and buildings from Overture Maps (ODbL / CDLA-Permissive-2.0); FCC Broadband Data Collection.
- Mobile: OpenCelliD cells, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Buildings and businesses (HVAC markets): Overture Maps buildings and places.
- Basemap: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via Protomaps.
If you own data shown here and want it credited differently or removed, email f.kauker@gmail.com.