Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2019

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1515 To direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate regulations that establish a national standard for determining whether mobile and broadband services available in rural areas are reasonably comparable to those services provided in urban areas. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 16, 2019 Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To direct the Federal Communications Commission to pro- mulgate regulations that establish a national standard for determining whether mobile and broadband services available in rural areas are reasonably comparable to those services provided in urban areas. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Reasonable and 4 Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2019’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:41 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1515.IS S1515 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1515 IS SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE IN 1 UNDERSERVED RURAL AREAS. 2 (a) DEFINITIONS.— 3 (1) IN GENERAL.—In this section: 4 (A) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commis- 5 sion’’ means the Federal Communications Com- 6 mission. 7 (B) RURAL TELEPHONE COMPANY.—The 8 term ‘‘rural telephone company’’ has the mean- 9 ing given the term in section 3 of the Commu- 10 nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153). 11 (C) SERVICE AREA.—The term ‘‘service 12 area’’ has the meaning given the term in sec- 13 tion 214(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 14 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)). 15 (2) MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE.—The Com- 16 mission shall define the term ‘‘mobile broadband 17 service’’ for purposes of this section. 18 (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARD.— 19 (1) COMMENCEMENT OF RULEMAKING.—Not 20 later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 21 this Act, the Commission shall commence a rule- 22 making to establish a national standard to deter- 23 mine, with respect to access to universal service in 24 rural, insular, and high cost areas under section 25 254(b)(3) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:41 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1515.IS S1515 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1515 IS U.S.C. 254(b)(3)), whether mobile broadband service 1 available in rural areas is reasonably comparable to 2 mobile broadband service provided in urban areas. 3 (2) PROGRESS REPORTS.—Not less frequently 4 than once every 180 days after commencing the 5 rulemaking under paragraph (1), the Commission 6 shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of 7 the Commission in establishing the standard under 8 that paragraph. 9 (c) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing a standard 10 under subsection (b), the Commission shall consider— 11 (1) defining a rural area as any area— 12 (A) in which a school or library designated 13 as ‘‘rural’’ under section 54.505(b)(3)(i) of title 14 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on 15 the date of enactment of this Act, is located; or 16 (B) that is a service area that is served by 17 a rural telephone company; 18 (2) defining a rural area as underserved, with 19 respect to mobile broadband service, if mobile 20 broadband service that meets or exceeds the stand- 21 ard established under subsection (b) is not available 22 in the area; and 23 (3) providing that a rural area shall be consid- 24 ered underserved, with respect to mobile broadband 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:41 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1515.IS S1515 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1515 IS service, if tests show that the average speed and sig- 1 nal strength of mobile broadband service available in 2 the area do not meet or exceed the average speed 3 and signal strength of mobile broadband service pro- 4 vided in the 20 most populous metropolitan statis- 5 tical areas in the United States. 6 (d) DATA FROM URBAN AREAS.—To help inform the 7 standard established under subsection (b), the Commis- 8 sion shall gather, and periodically update, data on mobile 9 broadband service provided in the 20 most populous met- 10 ropolitan statistical areas in the United States. 11 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:41 May 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1515.IS S1515 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS