Open RAN Outreach Act

Subjects: Science, Technology, Communications, Government information and archives, Telephone and wireless communication

Summary:  <p><b>Open RAN Outreach Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers to raise awareness of the benefits, uses, and challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network architectures. Open RAN networks are wireless networks that follow the Open Radio Access Network approach to standardization, promoting the use of open interface standards in the portion of the telecommunications network that connects wireless devices (e.g., mobile phones) to the core of the network.</p> <p>The NTIA must also conduct outreach and provide assistance regarding participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program.</p>

<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1340 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1340

    To provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers 
          regarding Open RAN networks, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 3, 2023

 Mr. Allred (for himself, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. Guthrie) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers 
          regarding Open RAN networks, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Open RAN Outreach Act''.

SEC. 2. OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SMALL PROVIDERS REGARDING 
              OPEN RAN NETWORKS.

    (a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall conduct outreach and 
provide technical assistance to small communications network 
providers--
            (1) to raise awareness regarding the uses, benefits, and 
        challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network 
        architectures; and
            (2) regarding participation in the Wireless Supply Chain 
        Innovation Grant Program established under section 9202(a)(1) 
        of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283).
    (b) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information, acting through the head of the Office of 
        Internet Connectivity and Growth.
            (2) Open network architecture.--The term ``open network 
        architecture'' means Open RAN networks and other network 
        elements that follow a set of published open standards for 
        multi-vendor network equipment interoperability, including open 
        core and open transport.
            (3) Open ran network.--The term ``Open RAN network'' means 
        a wireless network that follows the Open Radio Access Network 
        approach to standardization adopted by the O-RAN Alliance, 
        Telecom Infra Project, or Third Generation Partnership Project 
        (3GPP), or any similar set of published open standards for 
        multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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