II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2965 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to study the current 

and projected demands on rural broadband networks associated with 

data transmission due to increased network usage. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 7, 2021 

Mr. BRAUN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Federal Communications Commission to study 

the current and projected demands on rural broadband 

networks associated with data transmission due to increased network usage. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

6 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

7 (2) COVERED PERIOD.—The term ‘‘covered pe8 riod’’ means the 6-year period that— 


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1 (A) begins on the date that is 3 years be2 fore the date on which the proceeding under 

3 section 2(a)(1) is initiated; and 

4 (B) ends on the date that is 3 years after 

5 the date on which the proceeding under section 

6 2(a)(1) is initiated. 

7 (3) HIGH-COST RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘high8 cost rural area’’ means an area of the United States 

9 that is not contained within an incorporated city or 

10 town with a population of more than 20,000 inhab11 itants. 

12 (4) QUALIFYING BROADBAND SERVICE.—The 

13 term ‘‘qualifying broadband service’’ means broad14 band service with measurable speeds of not less than 

15 the speeds required for the service to qualify as an 

16 advanced telecommunications capability, as that 

17 term is defined in section 706(d) of the Tele18 communications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302(d)). 

19 (5) RURAL BROADBAND NETWORK.—The term 

20 ‘‘rural broadband network’’ means the plant, equip21 ment, components, facilities, hardware, and software 

22 used by a rural broadband provider to provide quali23 fying broadband service in a high-cost rural area. 

24 (6) RURAL BROADBAND PROVIDER.—The term 

25 ‘‘rural broadband provider’’ means an entity that— 


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1 (A) provides qualifying broadband service 

2 in a high-cost rural area using any terrestrial 

3 technology, including a fixed or mobile wireless 

4 or wireline network; and 

5 (B) provides qualifying broadband service 

6 to fewer than 250,000 customers. 

7 SEC. 2. RURAL BROADBAND NETWORK ADVANCEMENT 

8 STUDY. 

9 (a) PROCEEDING BY FCC.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.— 

11 (A) INITIATION.—Not later than 1 year 

12 after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

13 Commission shall initiate a proceeding to ana14 lyze the demands that have been or will be 

15 placed on rural broadband networks during the 

16 covered period that are associated with data 

17 transmitted over those networks. 

18 (B) CONCLUSION.—Not later than 1 year 

19 after initiating the proceeding under subpara20 graph (A), the Commission shall conclude the 

21 proceeding. 

22 (2) MATTERS FOR ANALYSIS.—The analysis 

23 conducted under paragraph (1) shall include the fol24 lowing: 


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1 (A) ESTIMATION AND ANALYSIS OF NET2 WORK USAGE.— 

3 (i) OVERALL DATA TRANSFERS.—An 

4 estimate of the quantity of data that has 

5 been or will be transmitted over rural 

6 broadband networks during the covered pe7 riod. 

8 (ii) CATEGORIES OF NETWORK

9 USAGE.—An analysis of the quantity of 

10 data that has been or will be transmitted 

11 over rural broadband networks during the 

12 covered period broken down by content 

13 owner, licensor, or distributor, in order to 

14 produce an estimate of network usage by 

15 type of content, use, and purpose. 

16 (B) CALCULATION OF COSTS.— 

17 (i) IN GENERAL.—A calculation of the 

18 costs to rural broadband providers during 

19 the covered period associated with trans20 mission of data over rural broadband net21 works that are not already recovered 

22 through— 

23 (I) user rates that are reasonably 

24 comparable to user rates in urban 

25 areas; or 


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1 (II) Federal programs aimed at 

2 promoting rural broadband deploy3 ment or sustaining rural broadband 

4 networks, including Federal universal 

5 service support programs established 

6 under section 254 of the Communica7 tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 

8 (ii) COSTS DESCRIBED.—The cat9 egories of costs to be calculated under 

10 clause (i) shall include costs associated 

11 with— 

12 (I) the initial deployment of rural 

13 broadband networks; 

14 (II) the operation and mainte15 nance of rural broadband networks; 

16 and 

17 (III) the delivery of services to 

18 users over rural broadband networks, 

19 including the transmission of data be20 tween high-cost rural areas and urban 

21 or suburban interconnection points. 

22 (3) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—Notwith23 standing any other provision of law, a rural 

24 broadband provider may disclose to the Commis25 sion— 


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1 (A) the quantity of data transmitted over 

2 rural broadband networks of the provider, bro3 ken down by content owner, licensor, or dis4 tributor; and 

5 (B) any other information necessary for 

6 the Commission to complete the proceeding 

7 under paragraph (1). 

8 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 days 

9 after concluding the proceeding under subsection (a)(1), 

10 the Commission shall publish on its website and submit 

11 to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor12 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 

13 Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on 

14 the findings of the proceeding. 

Æ 


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