with respect to frequencies allocated for Federal use, the 
Commission shall adopt rules that permit unlicensed serv-
ices where feasible to use any frequencies that are des-
ignated as guard bands to protect frequencies allocated 
after the date of enactment of this Act by competitive bid-
ding under section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), including spectrum that acts as 
a duplex gap between transmit and receive frequencies. 
(b) LIMITATION.—The Commission may not permit 
any use of a guard band under this section that would 
cause harmful interference to a licensed service or a Fed-
eral service. 
(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion shall be construed as limiting the Commission or the 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
Information from otherwise making spectrum available for 
licensed or unlicensed use in any frequency band in addi-
tion to guard bands, including under section 703, con-
sistent with their statutory jurisdictions. 
SEC. 710. AMENDMENTS TO THE SPECTRUM PIPELINE ACT 
OF 2015. 
Section 1008 of the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015 
(Public Law 114–74; 129 Stat. 584) is amended in the 
matter preceding paragraph (1) by inserting ‘‘, after no-
tice and an opportunity for public comment,’’ after ‘‘the 
Commission’’. 
SEC. 711. GAO ASSESSMENT OF UNLICENSED SPECTRUM 
AND WI-FI USE IN LOW-INCOME NEIGHBOR-
HOODS. 
(a) STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study to evaluate 
the availability of broadband Internet access using 
unlicensed spectrum and wireless networks in low-in-
come neighborhoods. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the study 
under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall 
consider and evaluate— 
(A) the availability of wireless Internet hot 
spots and access to unlicensed spectrum in low- 
income neighborhoods, particularly for elemen-
tary and secondary school-aged children in such 
neighborhoods; 
(B) any barriers preventing or limiting the 
deployment and use of wireless networks in low- 
income neighborhoods; 
(C) how to overcome any barriers described 
in subparagraph (B), including through incen-
tives, policies, or requirements that would in-
crease the availability of unlicensed spectrum 
and related technologies in low-income neigh-
borhoods; and 
(D) how to encourage home broadband 
adoption by households with elementary and 
secondary school-age children that are in low- 
income neighborhoods. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a re-
port that— 
(1) summarizes the findings of the study con-
ducted under subsection (a); and 
(2) makes recommendations with respect to po-
tential incentives, policies, and requirements that 
could help achieve the goals described in subpara-
graphs (C) and (D) of subsection (a)(2). 
SEC. 712. RULEMAKING RELATED TO PARTITIONING OR 
DISAGGREGATING LICENSES. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED
SMALL
CARRIER.—The term 
‘‘covered small carrier’’ means a carrier (as defined
in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 153)) that— 
(A) has not more than 1,500 employees (as 
determined under section 121.106 of title 13, 
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
thereto); and 
(B) offers services using the facilities of 
the carrier. 
(2) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 
means any area other than— 
(A) a city, town, or incorporated area that 
has a population of more than 20,000 inhab-
itants; or 
(B) an urbanized area contiguous and ad-
jacent to a city or town that has a population 
of more than 50,000 inhabitants. 
(b) RULEMAKING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to assess 
whether to establish a program, or modify existing 
programs, under which a licensee that receives a li-
cense for the exclusive use of spectrum in a specific 
geographic area under section 301 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301) may partition
or disaggregate the license by sale or long-term 
lease— 
(A) in order to— 
(i) provide services consistent with the 
license; and 
(ii) make unused spectrum available 
to— 
(I) an unaffiliated covered small 
carrier; or 
(II) an unaffiliated carrier to 
serve a rural area; and 
(B) if the Commission finds that such a 
program would promote— 
(i) the availability of advanced tele-
communications services in rural areas; or 
(ii) spectrum availability for covered 
small carriers. 
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the rule-
making proceeding under paragraph (1), the Com-
mission shall consider, with respect to the program 
proposed to be established under that paragraph— 
(A) whether reduced performance require-
ments with respect to spectrum obtained 
through the program would facilitate deploy-
ment of advanced telecommunications services 
in the areas covered by the program; 
(B) what conditions may be needed on 
transfers of spectrum under the program to 
allow covered small carriers that obtain spec-
trum under the program to build out the spec-
trum in a reasonable period of time; 
(C) what incentives may be appropriate to 
encourage licensees to lease or sell spectrum, in-
cluding— 
(i) extending the term of a license 
granted under section 301 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301); or 
(ii) modifying performance require-
ments of the license relating to the leased 
or sold spectrum; and 
(D) the administrative feasibility of— 
(i) the incentives described in sub-
paragraph (C); and 
(ii) other incentives considered by the 
Commission that further the goals of this 
section. 
(3) FORFEITURE
OF
SPECTRUM.—If a party 
fails to meet any build out requirements set by the 
Commission for any spectrum sold or leased under