I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1650 
To require the Federal Communications Commission to study the current 
and projected demands on rural broadband networks associated with 
services offered by edge providers, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2021 
Mr. MULLIN (for himself, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. HERN, Mr. BAIRD, 
Mr. LATURNER, Mr. MEUSER, Mrs. BICE of Oklahoma, and Mr. COLE) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require the Federal Communications Commission to study 
the current and projected demands on rural broadband 
networks associated with services offered by edge pro-
viders, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
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(2) EDGE
PROVIDER.—The term ‘‘edge pro-
vider’’— 
(A) 
means 
an 
entity 
that 
provides 
(through, but as a separate product from, the 
broadband internet service of a user) a service 
or content— 
(i) for which the entity requires the 
user to subscribe or establish an account in 
order to use the service; 
(ii) through which the user purchases, 
downloads, or accesses content, applica-
tions, or services from the entity without a 
subscription or account; 
(iii) by which a program searches for 
and identifies items in a database that cor-
respond to keywords or characters speci-
fied by the user, used especially for finding 
particular sites on the World Wide Web; or 
(iv) by which the user divulges sen-
sitive information of the user; 
(B) includes an entity that provides a serv-
ice described in subparagraph (A) through a 
software program, including a mobile applica-
tion; and 
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(C) does not include an entity that solely 
provides broadband internet service. 
(3) EDGE PROVIDER DATA.—The term ‘‘edge 
provider data’’ means data associated with services 
or content offered by edge providers. 
(4) HIGH-COST RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘high- 
cost rural area’’ means an area of the United States 
that— 
(A) is not contained within an incorporated 
city or town; and 
(B) has a population of fewer than 20,000 
inhabitants. 
(5) QUALIFYING
BROADBAND
SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘qualifying broadband service’’ means broad-
band internet service with measurable speeds of not 
less than the speeds required for the Commission to 
determine the service is advanced telecommuni-
cations capability, as that term is defined in section 
706(d) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 
U.S.C. 1302(d)). 
(6) RURAL BROADBAND NETWORK.—The term 
‘‘rural broadband network’’ means the plant, equip-
ment, components, facilities, hardware, and software 
used by a rural broadband provider to provide quali-
fying broadband service in a high-cost rural area. 
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(7) RURAL BROADBAND PROVIDER.—The term 
‘‘rural broadband provider’’ means an entity that— 
(A) provides qualifying broadband service 
in a high-cost rural area using any technology, 
including a fixed or mobile wireless or wireline 
network; and 
(B) provides qualifying broadband service 
to fewer than 250,000 customers. 
SEC. 2. RURAL BROADBAND NETWORK ADVANCEMENT 
STUDY. 
(a) PROCEEDING BY FCC.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.— 
(A) INITIATION.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Commission shall initiate a proceeding to ana-
lyze the demands that have been or will be 
placed on rural broadband networks during the 
covered period that are associated with edge 
provider data transmitted over such networks, 
including internet browsing data and data asso-
ciated with video streaming services. 
(B) CONCLUSION.—Not later than 1 year 
after initiating the proceeding under subpara-
graph (A), the Commission shall conclude the 
proceeding. 
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(2) MATTERS
FOR
ANALYSIS.—The analysis 
conducted under paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) ESTIMATION
OF
EDGE
PROVIDER 
DATA.—An estimation of the quantity of edge 
provider data that has been or will be trans-
mitted over rural broadband networks during 
the covered period. 
(B) CALCULATION OF COSTS.—A calcula-
tion of the costs to rural broadband providers 
during the covered period associated with trans-
mission by such providers of edge provider data 
over the rural broadband network that are not 
already recovered through— 
(i) user rates that are reasonably com-
parable to user rates in urban areas; or 
(ii) Federal programs aimed at pro-
moting rural broadband deployment or sus-
taining rural broadband networks, includ-
ing Federal universal service support pro-
grams established under section 254 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
254). 
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(3) COSTS DESCRIBED.—The categories of costs 
to be calculated under paragraph (2)(B) shall in-
clude costs associated with— 
(A) the initial deployment of rural broad-
band networks; 
(B) the operation and maintenance of 
rural broadband networks; and 
(C) the delivery of services to users over 
rural broadband networks, including the trans-
mission of data between high-cost rural areas 
and urban or suburban interconnection points. 
(4) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.— 
(A) USE OF DATA.—To analyze the de-
mands described under paragraph (1), the 
Commission shall— 
(i) use any existing commercial or 
government data or estimate concerning 
the covered time period; and 
(ii) collect data concerning the covered 
time period from edge providers or rural 
broadband providers. 
(B) REQUIREMENT TO SUBMIT INFORMA-
TION.—In any case in which the Commission 
determines that it is necessary to collect data 
under subparagraph (A)(ii) from an edge pro-
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vider or a rural broadband provider, such edge 
provider or rural broadband provider shall pro-
vide any information necessary for the Commis-
sion to complete the proceeding under para-
graph (1). 
(5) COVERED PERIOD DEFINED.—In this sub-
section, the term ‘‘covered period’’ means the 6-year 
period that— 
(A) begins on the date that is 3 years be-
fore the date on which the proceeding under 
paragraph (1) is initiated; and 
(B) ends on the date that is 3 years after 
the date on which the proceeding is initiated. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 120 days 
after concluding the proceeding under subsection (a)(1), 
the Commission shall publish on its website and submit 
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on 
the findings of the proceeding. 
Æ 
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