Title: 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.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to analyze and report on the demands associated with edge provider data transmitted over rural broadband networks during a specified six-year period.
An edge provider is an entity that provides content, applications, or services over the internet (e.g., search engine providers, streaming video or music services, social media platforms, and retailers). Some edge providers generate revenue by selling products or subscriptions to their content, while others offer their content for free and generate revenue by selling advertising to users based on user-provided information.
In its analysis, the FCC must retrospectively and prospectively estimate the quantity of edge provider data transmitted over rural broadband networks. It must also calculate costs to rural broadband providers that are not otherwise recovered for transmitting such data. These costs include (1) initial deployment of rural broadband networks, (2) operation and maintenance of those networks, and (3) the delivery of services to users over those networks.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1650 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 
                          Energy 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 providers, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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.
            (2) Edge provider.--The term ``edge provider''--
                    (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, applications, 
                        or services from the entity without a 
                        subscription or account;
                            (iii) by which a program searches for and 
                        identifies items in a database that correspond 
                        to keywords or characters specified by the 
                        user, used especially for finding particular 
                        sites on the World Wide Web; or
                            (iv) by which the user divulges sensitive 
                        information of the user;
                    (B) includes an entity that provides a service 
                described in subparagraph (A) through a software 
                program, including a mobile application; and
                    (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 broadband internet service with 
        measurable speeds of not less than the speeds required for the 
        Commission to determine the service is advanced 
        telecommunications 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, equipment, components, facilities, 
        hardware, and software used by a rural broadband provider to 
        provide qualifying broadband service in a high-cost rural area.
            (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 analyze 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 associated with video 
                streaming services.
                    (B) Conclusion.--Not later than 1 year after 
                initiating the proceeding under subparagraph (A), the 
                Commission shall conclude the proceeding.
            (2) Matters for analysis.--The analysis conducted under 
        paragraph (1) shall include the following:
                    (A) Estimation of edge provider data.--An 
                estimation of the quantity of edge provider data that 
                has been or will be transmitted over rural broadband 
                networks during the covered period.
                    (B) Calculation of costs.--A calculation of the 
                costs to rural broadband providers during the covered 
                period associated with transmission by such providers 
                of edge provider data over the rural broadband network 
                that are not already recovered through--
                            (i) user rates that are reasonably 
                        comparable to user rates in urban areas; or
                            (ii) Federal programs aimed at promoting 
                        rural broadband deployment or sustaining rural 
                        broadband networks, including Federal universal 
                        service support programs established under 
                        section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 
                        (47 U.S.C. 254).
            (3) Costs described.--The categories of costs to be 
        calculated under paragraph (2)(B) shall include costs 
        associated with--
                    (A) the initial deployment of rural broadband 
                networks;
                    (B) the operation and maintenance of rural 
                broadband networks; and
                    (C) the delivery of services to users over rural 
                broadband networks, including the transmission of data 
                between high-cost rural areas and urban or suburban 
                interconnection points.
            (4) Provision of information.--
                    (A) Use of data.--To analyze the demands 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 information.--In any case 
                in which the Commission determines that it is necessary 
                to collect data under subparagraph (A)(ii) from an edge 
                provider or a rural broadband provider, such edge 
                provider or rural broadband provider shall provide any 
                information necessary for the Commission to complete 
                the proceeding under paragraph (1).
            (5) Covered period defined.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``covered period'' means the 6-year period that--
                    (A) begins on the date that is 3 years before 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 
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives a report on the findings of the 
proceeding.
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