Sec. 1102. Study and report on affordability of adoption of broadband service
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/bill/117/s/745/is/section-1102A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Section 903 of division FF of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ( Public Law 116–260 ) is amended— by redesignating subsections
(g)and
(h)as subsections
(i)and (j), respectively; and by inserting after subsection
(f)the following: The Office, in consultation with the Commission, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, and such other Federal agencies as the Office considers appropriate, shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and biennially thereafter, conduct a study that examines the following: The number of households for which cost is a barrier to the adoption of broadband service, the financial circumstances of such households, and whether such households are eligible for the emergency broadband benefit under section 904 of division N. The extent to which the cost of adoption of broadband service is a financial burden to households that have adopted broadband service, the financial circumstances of such financially burdened households, and whether such households are receiving the emergency broadband benefit under section 904 of division N. The appropriate standard to determine whether adoption of broadband service is affordable for households, given the financial circumstances of such households. The feasibility of providing additional Federal subsidies, including expanding the eligibility for or increasing the amount of the emergency broadband benefit under section 904 of division N, to households to cover the difference between the cost of adoption of broadband service (determined before applying such additional Federal subsidies) and the price at which adoption of broadband service would be affordable. How a program to provide additional Federal subsidies as described in subparagraph
(D)should be administered to most effectively facilitate adoption of broadband service at the lowest overall expense to the Federal Government, including measures that would ensure that the availability of the subsidies does not result in providers raising the price of broadband service for households receiving subsidies. How participation in the Lifeline program of the Commission has changed in the 5 years prior to the date of the enactment of this Act, including— geographic information at the census-block level depicting the scale of change in participation in each area; and information on changes in participation by specific types of Lifeline-supported services, including fixed voice telephony service, mobile voice telephony service, fixed broadband service, and mobile broadband service and, in the case of any Lifeline-supported services provided as part of a bundle of services to which a Lifeline discount is applied, which Lifeline-supported services are part of such bundle and whether or not each Lifeline-supported service in such bundle meets Lifeline minimum service standards. How competition impacts the price of broadband service, including the impact of monopolistic business practices by broadband service providers. The extent to which, if at all, the Universal Service Fund high-cost programs have enabled access to reasonably comparable telephony and broadband services at reasonably comparable rates in high-cost rural areas as required by the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.), including a comparison of the rates charged by recipients of support under such programs in rural areas and rates charged in urban areas, as determined by the Commission’s annual survey. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this subsection, and biennially thereafter, the Office shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1). In this subsection: The term cost means, with respect to adoption of broadband service, the cost of adoption of broadband service to a household after applying any subsidies that reduce such cost. The terms adoption of broadband service and broadband service have the meanings given such terms in section 1000 of the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act . .
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Sec. 1102
Study and report on affordability of adoption of broadband service
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