I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3654 
To expand access to electromagnetic spectrum for the provision of broadband 
service in rural areas, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 1, 2021 
Mr. CAWTHORN (for himself and Mr. KELLY of Mississippi) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to 
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To expand access to electromagnetic spectrum for the provi-
sion of broadband service in rural areas, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Opportunities 
for Broadband in Underserved Settlements and Towns 
Act’’ or the ‘‘ROBUST Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ACCESS TO ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM FOR 
PROVISION 
OF 
BROADBAND 
SERVICE 
IN 
RURAL AREAS. 
(a) EVALUATION OF SPECTRUM USE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commis-
sion shall conduct an evaluation of all covered li-
censes that are in effect as of the date of the enact-
ment of this Act in order to determine whether spec-
trum usage rights under such licenses are unutilized 
or underutilized in rural areas. 
(2) EFFECT
OF
INFRASTRUCTURE
DEPLOY-
MENT ON DETERMINATION.—In conducting the eval-
uation under paragraph (1), the Commission may 
not determine that spectrum usage rights are unuti-
lized or underutilized if— 
(A) in the case of a license that contains 
terms regarding when the licensee is required to 
deploy infrastructure or to begin utilizing such 
spectrum usage rights, the licensee is in compli-
ance with such terms; or 
(B) in the case of a license that does not 
contain such terms— 
(i) the licensee is, at the time when 
the Commission conducts the evaluation, in 
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the process of deploying infrastructure to 
utilize such spectrum usage rights; and 
(ii) after the deployment is complete, 
the spectrum usage rights will not be un-
utilized or underutilized. 
(3) RECOMMENDATION TO LEASE UNUTILIZED 
OR UNDERUTILIZED SPECTRUM USAGE RIGHTS.—If 
the Commission determines in the evaluation con-
ducted under paragraph (1) that any spectrum 
usage rights under a covered license are unutilized 
or underutilized in a rural area, the Commission 
shall, not later than 90 days after completing such 
evaluation, issue a recommendation to the licensee 
that the licensee lease such unutilized or underuti-
lized spectrum usage rights to other entities for the 
provision of broadband service in such area, in ac-
cordance with subpart X of part 1 of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON REDUCTION OF LI-
CENSE SIZES.—It is the sense of Congress that, in issuing 
any covered license (except for a renewal of such a li-
cense), the Commission should ensure that the geographic 
area in which such license permits the use of spectrum 
is as small as feasible, as determined by the Commission. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
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(1) 
BROADBAND
SERVICE.—The 
term 
‘‘broadband service’’ means broadband internet ac-
cess service (as defined in section 8.1(b) of title 47, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation)). 
(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(3) COVERED LICENSE.—The term ‘‘covered li-
cense’’ means a license for the use of electro-
magnetic spectrum issued by the Commission under 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et 
seq.)— 
(A) under the terms of which a licensee 
may use such spectrum for the provision of 
broadband service, regardless of whether such 
terms expressly refer to the provision of 
broadband service; and 
(B) any part of the geographic scope of 
which includes a rural area, in whole or in part. 
(4) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 
means a county with a population density of fewer 
than 100 individuals per square mile. 
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