,,ii ,calendar ,no4 #fbf #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bdah ,report ,no4 #aae-cde ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ac1 #bjah,ms4 ,hassan 7for herself1 ,mrs4 ,capito1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 and ,mr4 ,king7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,october #i1 #bjah,reported by ,mr4 ,thune1 with an amendment,strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic ,a ,,bill ,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 areas4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural ,reasonable and ,comparable ,wireless ,access ,act of #bjah4 #b4 ,availability of mobile and broadband services in underserved rural areas 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,broadband ,internet access service ,the term broadband ,internet access service-- 7,a7 means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to1 and receive data from1 all or substantially all ,internet endpoints1 including any capabilities that are incidental to1 and enable the operation of1 the communications service2 7,b7 includes any service that the ,commission finds to provide a functional equivalent of the service described in subparagraph 7,a72 and 7,c7 does not include dial-up ,internet access service4 7#b7 ,commercial mobile data service ,the term commercial mobile data service has the meaning given the term in section #fjja of the ,middle ,class ,tax ,relief and ,job ,creation ,act of #bjab 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #adja74 7#c7 ,commercial mobile service ,the term commercial mobile service has the meaning given the term in section #ccb7;d7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ccb7;d774 7#d7 ,commission ,the term ,commission means the ,federal ,communications ,commission4 7#e7 ,rural telephone company ,the term rural telephone company has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec74 7#f7 ,service area ,the term service area has the meaning given the term in section #bad7;e7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bad7;e774 7b7 ,establishment of standard ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,commission shall promulgate regulations that establish a national standard to determine1 with respect to access to universal service in rural1 insular1 and high-cost areas under section #bed7;b77#c7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;b77#c771 whether commercial mobile services1 commercial mobile data services1 and broadband ,internet access services available in rural areas are reasonably comparable to those services provided in urban areas4 7c7 ,underserved rural areas ,the standard established under subsection 7b7 shall-- 7#a7 define a rural area as any area that is-- 7,a7 a rural area1 as defined in section #ed4fjj7;b77#a7 of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as in effect on the date of enactment of this ,act2 or 7,b7 a service area that is served by a rural telephone company2 7#b7 define a rural area as underserved1 with respect to a service described in subsection 7b71 if service that meets or exceeds the standard established under that subsection is not available in the area2 and 7#c7 provide that a rural area shall be considered underserved1 with respect to a service described in subsection 7b71 if tests show that the service available in the area does not meet or exceed the applicable average determined under subsection 7d77#a7 with respect to that service4 7d7 ,data from urban areas ,the ,commission shall-- 7#a7 gather data on the average signal strength and average speed of commercial mobile service and commercial mobile data service1 and on the average speed of broadband ,internet access service1 provided in the #bj most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 specify in the standard established under subsection 7b7 that-- 7,a7 commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service available in a rural area is reasonably comparable to that service provided in an urban area only if the average signal strength and average speed with respect to the service in the rural area meets or exceeds the average determined under paragraph 7#a7 with respect to that service2 and 7,b7 broadband ,internet access service available in a rural area is reasonably comparable to that service provided in an urban area only if the average speed with respect to the service in the rural area meets or exceeds the average determined under paragraph 7#a7 with respect to that service4 7e7 ,periodic updating of data ,the ,commission shall periodically update the data gathered under subsection 7d77#a74 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural ,reasonable and ,comparable ,wireless ,access ,act of #bjah4 #b4 ,availability of mobile broadband service in underserved rural areas 7a7 ,definitions 7#a7 ,in general ,in this section3 7,a7 ,commission ,the term ,commission means the ,federal ,communications ,commission4 7,b7 ,rural telephone company ,the term rural telephone company has the meaning given the term in section #c of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec74 7,c7 ,service area ,the term service area has the meaning given the term in section #bad7;e7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bad7;e774 7#b7 ,mobile broadband service ,the ,commission shall define the term mobile broadband service for purposes of this section4 7b7 ,establishment of standard 7#a7 ,commencement of rulemaking ,not later than #ahj days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,commission shall commence a rulemaking to establish a national standard to determine1 with respect to access to universal service in rural1 insular1 and high cost areas under section #bed7;b77#c7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;b77#c771 whether mobile broadband service available in rural areas is reasonably comparable to mobile broadband service provided in urban areas4 7#b7 ,progress reports ,not less frequently than once every #ahj days after commencing the rulemaking under paragraph 7#a71 the ,commission shall submit to ,congress a report on the progress of the ,commission in establishing the standard under that paragraph4 7c7 ,considerations ,in establishing a standard under subsection 7b71 the ,commission shall consider-- 7#a7 defining a rural area as any area-- 7,a7 in which a school or library designated as rural under section #ed4eje7;b77#c77;i7 of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 as in effect on the date of enactment of this ,act1 is located2 or 7,b7 that is a service area that is served by a rural telephone company2 7#b7 defining a rural area as underserved1 with respect to mobile broadband service1 if mobile broadband service that meets or exceeds the standard established under subsection 7b7 is not available in the area2 and 7#c7 providing that a rural area shall be considered underserved1 with respect to mobile broadband service1 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 #bj most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the ,united ,states4 7d7 ,data from urban areas ,to help inform the standard established under subsection 7b71 the ,commission shall gather1 and periodically update1 data on mobile broadband service provided in the #bj most populous metropolitan statistical areas in the ,united ,states4 ,october #i1 #bjah,reported with an amendment