Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1104
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]
Introduced: 2017-05-11
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Government information and archives

Rural conditions and development

Telephone and wireless communication
Latest action: action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2017-05-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a consistent methodology for its collection of coverage data about the available speed tiers and performance characteristics of commercial mobile and data service for the Universal Service program or any similar programs. </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1104 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 11, 2017 Mr. Manchin (for himself, Mr. Wicker , Mr. Schatz , Mrs. Fischer , Ms. Klobuchar , Mr. Peters , and Mr. Moran ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a methodology for the collection by the Commission of information about commercial mobile service and commercial mobile data service, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017 . 2. Methodology for collection of mobile service coverage data (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term commercial mobile data service has the meaning given the term in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 ( 47 U.S.C. 1401 ); (2) the term commercial mobile service has the meaning given the term in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 332(d) ); (3) the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission; (4) the term coverage data means, if commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service is available, information about the service, which may include available speed tiers and performance characteristics; and (5) the term Universal Service program means the universal service support mechanisms established under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 254 ) and the regulations issued under that section. (b) Methodology established Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations to establish a methodology that shall apply to the collection of coverage data by the Commission for the purposes of— (1) the Universal Service program; or (2) any other similar program. (c) Requirements The methodology established under subsection (b) shall— (1) contain standard definitions for different speed tiers, such as the 2G, 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE tiers; (2) ensure that coverage data is collected in a consistent and robust way; (3) improve the validity and reliability of coverage data; and (4) increase the efficiency of coverage data collection.