,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bife  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #g1   
#bjba,mr4 ,braun introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,federal   
,communications ,commission to study the
 current and projected demands on rural 
broadband networks associated with data 
transmission due to increased network   
usage4  #a4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 
7#a7 ,commission ,the term ,commission  
means the ,federal ,communications      
,commission4  7#b7 ,covered period ,the 
term covered period means the #f-year   
period that-- 7,a7 begins on the date   
that is #c years before the date on     
which the proceeding under section      
#b7;a77#a7 is initiated2 and  7,b7 ends 
on the date that is #c years after the  
date on which the proceeding under      
section #b7;a77#a7 is initiated4  7#c7  
,high-cost rural area ,the term         

high-cost rural area means an area of   
the ,united ,states that is not         
contained within an incorporated city or
 town with a population of more than    
#bj1jjj inhabitants4  7#d7 ,qualifying  
broadband service ,the term qualifying  
broadband service means broadband       
service with measurable speeds of not   
less than the speeds required for the   
service to qualify as an advanced       
telecommunications capability1 as that  
term is defined in section #gjf7;d7 of  
the ,telecommunications ,act of #aiif   
7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #acjb7;d774  7#e7 ,rural 
broadband network ,the term rural       
broadband network means the plant1      
equipment1 components1 facilities1      
hardware1 and software used by a rural  
broadband provider to provide qualifying
 broadband service in a high-cost rural 
area4  7#f7 ,rural broadband provider   
,the term rural broadband provider means
 an entity that-- 7,a7 provides         
qualifying broadband service in a       
high-cost rural area using any          

terrestrial technology1 including a     
fixed or mobile wireless or wireline    
network2 and  7,b7 provides qualifying  
broadband service to fewer than #bej1jjj
 customers4  #b4 ,rural broadband       
network advancement study  7a7          
,proceeding by ,,fcc  7#a7 ,in general  
7,a7 ,initiation ,not later than #a year
 after the date of enactment of this    
,act1 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 data    
transmitted over those networks4  7,b7  
,conclusion ,not later than #a year     
after initiating the proceeding under   
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,commission shall
 conclude the proceeding4  7#b7 ,matters
 for analysis ,the analysis conducted   
under paragraph 7#a7 shall include the  
following3 7,a7 ,estimation and analysis
 of network usage  7i7 ,overall data    
transfers ,an estimate of the quantity  
of data that has been or will be        

transmitted over rural broadband        
networks during the covered period4     
7ii7 ,categories of network usage ,an   
analysis of the quantity of data that   
has been or will be transmitted over    
rural broadband networks during the     
covered period broken down by content   
owner1 licensor1 or distributor1 in     
order to produce an estimate of network 
usage by type of content1 use1 and      
purpose4  7,b7 ,calculation of costs    
7i7 ,in general ,a calculation of the   
costs to rural broadband providers      
during the covered period associated    
with transmission of data over rural    
broadband networks that are not already 
recovered through-- 7,i7 user rates that
 are reasonably comparable to user rates
 in urban areas2 or  7,,ii7 ,federal    
programs aimed at promoting rural       
broadband deployment or sustaining rural
 broadband networks1 including ,federal 
universal service support programs      
established under section #bed of the   
,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg      

,u4,s4,c4 #bed74  7ii7 ,costs described 
,the categories of costs to be          
calculated under clause 7i7 shall       
include costs associated with-- 7,i7 the
 initial deployment of rural broadband  
networks2  7,,ii7 the operation and     
maintenance of rural broadband networks2
 and  7,,iii7 the delivery of services  
to users over rural broadband networks1 
including the transmission of data      
between high-cost rural areas and urban 
or suburban interconnection points4     
7#c7 ,provision of information          
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 a rural broadband provider may     
disclose to the ,commission-- 7,a7 the  
quantity of data transmitted over rural 
broadband networks of the provider1     
broken down by content owner1 licensor1 
or distributor2 and  7,b7 any other     
information necessary for the           
,commission to complete the proceeding  
under paragraph 7#a74  7b7 ,report to   
,congress ,not later than #abj days     
after concluding the proceeding under   

subsection 7a77#a71 the ,commission     
shall publish on its website and submit 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation of the    
,senate and the ,committee on ,energy   
and ,commerce of the ,house of          
,representatives a report on the        
findings of the proceeding4