Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2021
Bill: S.1036 | Sponsor: Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood (D-NH)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2021
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a national standard—informed by data gathered on mobile broadband service in the 20 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States—to determine whether the mobile broadband service available in rural areas is reasonably comparable to that of urban areas.

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.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Reasonable and Comparable 
Wireless Access Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICE IN UNDERSERVED RURAL 
              AREAS.

    (a) Definitions.--
            (1) In general.--In this section:
                    (A) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the 
                Federal Communications Commission.
                    (B) Rural telephone company.--The term ``rural 
                telephone company'' has the meaning given the term in 
                section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
                153).
                    (C) Service area.--The term ``service area'' has 
                the meaning given the term in section 214(e) of the 
                Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)).
            (2) Mobile broadband service.--The Commission shall define 
        the term ``mobile broadband service'' for purposes of this 
        section.
    (b) Establishment of Standard.--
            (1) Commencement of rulemaking.--Not later than 180 days 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
        commence a rulemaking to establish a national standard to 
        determine, with respect to access to universal service in 
        rural, insular, and high cost areas under section 254(b)(3) of 
        the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(b)(3)), whether 
        mobile broadband service available in rural areas is reasonably 
        comparable to mobile broadband service provided in urban areas.
            (2) Progress reports.--Not less frequently than once every 
        180 days after commencing the rulemaking under paragraph (1), 
        the Commission shall submit to Congress a report on the 
        progress of the Commission in establishing the standard under 
        that paragraph.
    (c) Considerations.--In establishing a standard under subsection 
(b), the Commission shall consider--
            (1) defining a rural area as any area--
                    (A) in which a school or library designated as 
                ``rural'' under section 54.505(b)(3)(i) of title 47, 
                Code of Federal Regulations, as in effect on the date 
                of enactment of this Act, is located; or
                    (B) that is a service area that is served by a 
                rural telephone company;
            (2) defining a rural area as underserved, with respect to 
        mobile broadband service, if mobile broadband service that 
        meets or exceeds the standard established under subsection (b) 
        is not available in the area; and
            (3) providing that a rural area shall be considered 
        underserved, with respect to mobile broadband service, if tests 
        show that the average speed and signal strength of mobile 
        broadband service available in the area do not meet or exceed 
        the average speed and signal strength of mobile broadband 
        service provided in the 20 most populous metropolitan 
        statistical areas in the United States.
    (d) Data From Urban Areas.--To help inform the standard established 
under subsection (b), the Commission shall gather, and periodically 
update, data on mobile broadband service provided in the 20 most 
populous metropolitan statistical areas in the United States.
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