Another set of broadband-related bills has been unveiled by members of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced on Wednesday, with this second cycle focused on improved rural broadband infrastructure. The first round of bills, released on Jan. 16, targeted rural broadband expansion.
The newly released proposals to be considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee include those introduced by U.S. Reps. Billy Long (R-MO) and Ryan Costello (R-PA).
“The legislation put forward [on Jan. 17] by my colleagues will encourage innovation, growth and prosperity in rural communities across the country,” said Rep. Blackburn.
Rep. Long introduced the Promoting Exchanges for Enhanced Routing of Information so Networks are Great (PEERING) Act, H.R. 4817, which would call on the U.S. Department of Commerce assistant secretary for communications and information to make grants available for creating or expanding internet exchanges, known as peering centers.
Peering centers are the physical locations where networks converge and where content providers place content so that it’s closer to end users, lending speed and efficiency to network operations, according to a statement from Rep. Long’s office.
“This bill will make the internet resilient, and more interconnected, especially for households in rural areas,” Long said.
Additionally, among other provisions, H.R. 4817 would authorize a matching grant program under the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that would finance the establishment of peering centers where there currently are none, or expand existing centers.
“We must ensure that rural areas have broadband services that reasonably compare to urban access, promote investments in future-ready long-term networks and enable broadband providers to fairly compete with each other to provide the best networks and services to the most underserved locations,” Long said.
Rep. Costello introduced the Wireless Internet Focus on Innovation in Spectrum Technology for Unlicensed Deployment Act, H.R. 4813, also known as the WIFI STUDy Act, according to Blackburn’s statement. The bill would require a study from the U.S. Comptroller General that evaluates the role of unlicensed spectrum in offloading broadband content.
H.R. 4813 seeks examination of how unlicensed spectrum affects internet traffic management and internet-device development, as well as the benefits and barriers of WiFi in assisting internet traffic management and expanding consumer device use, according to the bill’s text.
In December 2017, Rep. Costello during an interview with the Reading Eagle editorial board in his home state of Pennsylvania said that an infrastructure package that includes rural broadband, among several other items, could gain bipartisan support this year.
“We’re establishing a clear, consistent framework for broadband technologies to flourish, ensuring that government is not picking winners and losers. These bills help unleash innovation and create a connected, resilient internet in unserved areas,” Rep. Blackburn said.
Both H.R. 4813 and H.R. 4817 have been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee for consideration.