Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2017

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2017 2. Availability of mobile and broadband services in underserved rural areas (a) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations that establish a national standard for determining, for purposes of rural, insular, and high cost universal service support pursuant to subsection (b)(3) of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 254 (b) Underserved rural areas The standard established under subsection (a) shall— (1) define a rural area (A) a rural area (as defined in paragraph (1) of section 54.600(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations); or (B) a service area (as defined in section 214(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 214(e) 47 U.S.C. 153 (2) define a rural area as underserved (3) provide that a rural area will be considered underserved (c) Data from urban areas The Commission shall— (1) gather data on average signal strengths and average speeds of commercial mobile service and commercial mobile data service, and on average speeds of broadband internet access service, provided in the 20 most populous metropolitan statistical areas; and (2) specify in the standard established under subsection (a) that— (A) commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service available in rural areas is reasonably comparable to that service provided in urban areas only if the average signal strengths and average speeds meet or exceed the averages determined under paragraph (1) for such service; and (B) broadband internet access service available in rural areas is reasonably comparable to that service provided in urban areas only if the average speeds meet or exceed the averages determined under paragraph (1) for such service. (d) Periodic updating of data The Commission shall periodically update the data gathered under subsection (c)(1). (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband internet access service The term broadband internet access service (2) Commercial mobile service The term commercial mobile service 47 U.S.C. 332 (3) Commercial mobile data service The term commercial mobile data service 47 U.S.C. 1401 (4) Commission The term Commission

Summary: Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2017 This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop regulations that would establish a national standard for determining whether mobile service, mobile data service, and broadband service in rural areas are reasonably comparable to the services provided in urban areas. The FCC shall gather data about the average signal strengths and speeds of mobile services and the average speeds of broadband Internet services from the 20 most-populated urban areas. The services provided in rural areas shall be deemed reasonably comparable to urban area if the signal strengths and/or speeds meet or exceed the averages in the most-populated areas.