,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gafj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #aa1 #bjbj,mr4 
,butterfield introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend the ,communications   
,act of #aicd to promote broadband      
deployment by increasing participation  
in broadband support programs4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
,expanding ,opportunities for ,broadband
 ,deployment ,act4  #b4 ,expand         
,participation in ,broadband ,support   
,programs  7a7 ,special services        
,section #bed7;c77#c7 of the            
,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg      
,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;c77#c77 is amended to   
read as follows3  7#c7 ,special services
 ,in addition to the services included  
in the definition of universal service  
under paragraph 7#a71 the ,commission-- 
7,a7 shall designate broadband service  
7in this subparagraph meaning evolving1 
high-speed1 mass-market retail service  

by wire or radio that provides the      
capability to transmit data to and      
receive data from all or substantially  
all ,internet endpoints7 as supported by
 the ,federal universal service support 
mechanisms2 and  7,b7 may designate     
additional services for such support    
mechanisms for schools1 libraries1 and  
health care providers for the purposes  
of subsection 7h74  4  7b7 ,federal     
universal service support ,section      
#bed7;e7 of the ,communications ,act of 
#aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;e77 is       
amended to read as follows3  7e7        
,universal service support  7#a7 ,except
 as provided in paragraph 7#b71 after   
the date on which ,commission           
regulations implementing this section   
take effect1 only an eligible           
telecommunications carrier designated   
under section #bad7;e7 shall be eligible
 to receive specific ,federal universal 
service support4  7#b7 ,a provider of   
broadband service1 and any affiliate    
thereof1 that has not been designated as

 an eligible telecommunications carrier 
under section #bad7;e7 of this title    
shall be eligible to receive specific   
,federal universal service support for  
the provision of broadband service1 if  
such provider or affiliate meets the    
applicable ,commission legal1 financial1
 and technical requirements for         
receiving such support4  7#c7 ,in       
assessing a broadband service provider's
 financial qualifications under         
paragraph 7#b71 the ,commission shall   
allow such provider to choose to        
demonstrate its financial viability and 
security through either-- 7,a7 a letter 
of credit issued by a bank acceptable to
 the ,commission2  7,b7 a performance   
bond2  7,c7 credit rating issued by     
national ratings agencies2  7,d7 its    
,form #aj-,k most recently filed with   
the ,u4,s4 ,securities and ,exchange    
,commission1 provided that such ,form   
#aj-,k shows the ability of a publicly  
traded applicant to meet financial      
eligibility requirements1 such as by    

reference to an applicant's             
debt_/,,ebitda ratio1 cash flow1 or     
other criteria2 or  7,e7 financial      
records audited by an unaffiliated1     
qualified firm covering the preceding   
two fiscal years showing the ability to 
meet financial eligibility requirements4
  7#d7 ,a recipient of support pursuant 
to paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 shall use   
that support only for the provision1    
maintenance1 and upgrading of facilities
 and services for which the support is  
intended4 ,any such support should be   
explicit and sufficient to achieve the  
purposes of this section4  7#e7 ,a      
provider of broadband service1 and any  
affiliate thereof1 that receives        
specific ,federal universal service     
support pursuant to this subsection     
shall be subject to any deployment1     
public interest1 or reporting           
requirement established under part #ed  
of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations1 for eligible              
communications carriers that receive    

such support4  4  #c4 ,universal        
,service ,obligations ,providers will   
comply with all applicable ,commission  
requirements as set forth in part #ed of
 title #dg1 ,code of ,federal           
,regulations4