A U.S. Senate panel has moved legislation that would put tighter controls on approval of companies that apply for federal aid to assist with broadband network deployment.
The Senate Commerce Committee at the same time gave the green light to a bill directing the Federal Communications Commission to study the effect of the lack of network equipment available for broadband infrastructure projects.
The two bills passed as part of a large block of legislation the committee approved by voice vote Wednesday addressing a host of FCC topics, including the agency's spectrum policies and initiatives to build out broadband service in rural and underserved parts of the country.
The bipartisan Rural Broadband Protection Act, filed twice in the last two years by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., would require the FCC to "establish a process to vet applicants for certain funding that supports affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas, including rural communities," according to congressional records.
Cosponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., the bill applies to those companies that vie for funding under the high-cost universal service programs that provide competitive awards for broadband deployment.
Capito has said the measure would help maximize the federal broadband subsidies flowing into her state "by verifying that providers can actually deliver on the promises made to bring high-speed internet to specific areas."
An earlier version of the bill died in committee in 2022, and the senators introduced the bill again early last year. A companion bill was also introduced in the House and has been referred to committee, still awaiting action.
Under the Senate bill, funding applicants' proposals to the FCC "must contain enough detail and documentation" for the agency to determine if the applicant "has the technical capabilities to deploy the proposed network and deliver services," a bill summary says. Also, the FCC needs to "evaluate proposals against reasonable and well-established technical standards."
In another move meant to foster broadband deployment, the Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved a bill by Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., to better identify supply chain issues with obtaining network equipment.
The Network Equipment Transparency Act, which has several cosponsors in both parties including Capito, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., would require the FCC to find out of the lack of network equipment "significantly impacted the deployment of broadband and other advanced telecommunications capability," a bill summary says. The agency would have to add that determination to its biennial report on the state of the communications marketplace.
The same bill passed unanimously out of committee in May 2022. According to a statement last year by Hickenlooper's office, it would require the FCC's Communications Marketplace Report "to describe to Congress the impact of supply chain disruptions on the timely completion or deployment of broadband infrastructure projects."
An FCC spokesperson declined to comment Thursday.