AIRWAVES Act

To facilitate a national pipeline of spectrum for commercial use, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum Act AIRWAVES Act 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that the United States should strive to— (1) advance innovation with respect to, and investment in, wireless broadband Internet access; (2) promote the benefits of connecting all individuals in the United States to quality wireless broadband Internet access, including those individuals in rural communities; and (3) support comprehensive, technology-neutral spectrum policy that includes licensed, unlicensed, and shared use of spectrum bands. 3. Definitions In this Act— (1) the term appropriate committees of Congress (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and (C) any other congressional committee with jurisdiction over a matter; (2) the term Commission (3) the term eligible Federal entity 47 U.S.C. 923(g)(1) (4) the term eligible frequency (5) the term Federal entity 47 U.S.C. 923(l) (6) the term NTIA (7) the term Spectrum Frontiers proceeding (8) the term Spectrum Relocation Fund 47 U.S.C. 928 (9) the term system of competitive bidding 47 U.S.C. 309(j) 4. Spectrum Frontiers proceeding Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall complete the rule making to which the Spectrum Frontiers proceeding relates. 5. Expanding access to commercial spectrum (a) FCC responsibilities (1) In general The Commission, in consultation with the NTIA, shall— (A) not later than December 31, 2018, complete a system of competitive bidding to grant priority access licenses for the use of 70 megahertz of spectrum in the frequencies between 3550 megahertz and 3650 megahertz; (B) not later than December 31, 2018, complete a system of competitive bidding for the use of spectrum in frequencies between— (i) 24250 megahertz and 24450 megahertz; (ii) 24750 megahertz and 25250 megahertz; (iii) 27500 megahertz and 28350 megahertz, consistent with the spectrum sharing framework adopted for that frequency band as part of the Spectrum Frontiers proceeding; (iv) 37600 megahertz and 38600 megahertz; (v) 38600 megahertz and 40000 megahertz; and (vi) 47200 megahertz and 48200 megahertz; and (C) not later than December 31, 2020, complete a system of competitive bidding for the use of spectrum in frequencies between— (i) 31800 megahertz and 33400 megahertz; (ii) 42000 megahertz and 42500 megahertz; and (iii) 50400 megahertz and 52600 megahertz. (2) Requirements relating to 3550–3700 MHz band Consistent with the Commission's rules governing the Citizens Broadband Radio Service and the Report and Order and Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the matter of Amendment of the Commission’s Rules with Regard to Commercial Operations in the 3550–3650 MHz Band, adopted by the Commission on April 17, 2015 (FCC 15–47)— (A) 30 megahertz of spectrum in the frequencies between 3550 megahertz and 3650 megahertz shall be reserved for general authorized access use; and (B) the frequencies between 3650 megahertz and 3700 megahertz shall be reserved for grandfathered wireless broadband licensees and general authorized access users. (b) Identifying frequencies between 7125 megahertz and 8400 megahertz To be utilized for unlicensed purposes (1) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the NTIA, in consultation with the Commission, shall identify any frequency between 7125 megahertz and 8400 megahertz with respect to which there is the potential for unlicensed use without causing harmful interference with incumbents. (2) Rule making If the NTIA, in consultation with the Commission, makes an identification described in paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider initiating a rule making with respect to the unlicensed use described in that paragraph. (c) Report on reallocation of certain incumbent Federal stations (1) In general Not later than December 31, 2020, the NTIA, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report relating to the relocation of incumbent Federal stations authorized to use spectrum in the frequencies between 1300 megahertz and 1350 megahertz and between 1780 megahertz and 1830 megahertz in order to facilitate the reallocation of such spectrum from Federal to non-Federal use. (2) Timing The relocation described in paragraph (1) with respect to the frequencies between 1780 megahertz and 1830 megahertz shall take place not earlier than 2023. (d) Amendments to the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015 Section 1004 of the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015 ( 47 U.S.C. 921 (1) in subsection (a), by striking 30 megahertz 100 megahertz (2) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking July 1, 2024 July 1, 2023 6. Modernizing mid-band spectrum (a) In general (1) Spectrum identification Not later than December 31, 2019, the Commission, in consultation with the NTIA, shall identify up to 500 megahertz of additional spectrum in the frequencies between 3700 megahertz and 4200 megahertz to make available for commercial licensed use. (2) Spectrum auction Not later than December 31, 2022, the Commission shall complete a system of competitive bidding for the use of spectrum identified under paragraph (1). (b) Rule making on the unlicensed use of the frequency band between 5925 megahertz and 7125 megahertz Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with the NTIA, shall issue a notice of proposed rule making with respect to creating opportunities for the unlicensed use of spectrum in the frequencies between 5925 and 7125 megahertz without causing harmful interference with any incumbents in that band. 7. Rural set-aside (a) In general Notwithstanding section 309(j)(8) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8) (b) Limitations No amounts allocated under subsection (a) may be combined with amounts that are used to fund any other program that is in existence on the date on which the allocation is made, including any program established under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 254 8. Special rules With respect to any frequency band described in this Act (in this section referred to as the covered band (1) shall provide notification of that determination to the appropriate committees of Congress and the NTIA; and (2) may not proceed with any action, including relocating incumbents from the covered band or permitting new entrants into the covered band, that may result in the dislodging or harming of any incumbent in the covered band until the Commission can ensure that any such action will neither cause harmful interference with nor unreasonably constrain an incumbent in the covered band. 9. Commission study on enhancing the benefits of unlicensed spectrum for rural communities (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall conduct, and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress the results of, a study regarding how unlicensed spectrum can be further utilized to assist in— (1) the provision of healthcare in rural areas; (2) distance learning; and (3) facilitating innovations in agriculture. (b) Recommendations The results of the study submitted under subsection (a) shall include recommendations regarding— (1) overcoming barriers to the use of unlicensed spectrum for the purposes described in that subsection; and (2) how to further utilize unlicensed spectrum to meet the needs of rural communities with respect to broadband Internet access service. 10. GAO study on Spectrum Relocation Fund allocations Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct, and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress the results of, a study to determine the efficiency with which amounts in the Spectrum Relocation Fund are transferred to eligible Federal entities that willingly relocate from eligible frequencies. 11. Rules of construction (a) Frequency ranges Any frequency range described in this Act shall be construed as including the upper and lower frequency in the frequency range. (b) Assessment of electromagnetic spectrum reallocation Nothing in this Act may be construed as affecting any requirement under section 156 of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act ( 47 U.S.C. 921

Summary: Advancing Innovation and Reinvigorating Widespread Access to Viable Electromagnetic Spectrum Act or the AIRWAVES Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to complete auctions by December 31, 2020, that will grant priority access broadcast licenses for specified frequency spectrum bands. The FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration are directed to identify frequencies in specified spectrum bands that may be utilized for non-federal unlicensed use and commercial licensed use. The FCC must allocate 10% of proceeds from each of the spectrum band auctions specified in the bill to expand wireless infrastructure in rural areas that are underserved or unserved. The FCC shall conduct a study on how unlicensed frequency spectrum bands can be utilized for: (1) the provision of healthcare in rural areas, (2) distance learning, and (3) facilitating innovations in agriculture.