US House 5G Legislation 

The US House passed three bipartisan 5G security bills:   

• H. Res. 575, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all stakeholders in the deployment of 5G communications infrastructure should carefully consider and adhere to the recommendation of "the Prague Proposals.  The resolution also encourages the President and federal agencies to promote trade and security policies on the international stage that are consistent with "The Prague Proposals." The bill passed by voice vote. 

• H.R. 2881, the “Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2019,” which requires the President to develop the "Secure Next Generation Mobile Communications Strategy” with the heads of the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), and Department of Homeland Security, as well as the Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Defense. The legislation then requires the President to develop a separate implementation plan for the strategy for the NTIA to carry out. The bill passed 413-3. 

• H.R. 4500, the “Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2019,” which directs NTIA to encourage participation by American companies and other stakeholders in standards-setting bodies. It also offers technical assistance to stakeholders that do elect to participate in developing standards for 5G networks and future generations of communications networks. The bill passed by voice vote.    

Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) today released the following statement on the bills’ passage: “The House continues to pass legislation that will help keep the American people safe. The whole-of-government approach of the Secure 5G and Beyond Act will force the Trump Administration to get serious about protecting Americans as 5G services are deployed. The timing is particularly important given the increased risk of cyberattacks arising from the conflict with Iran. All three of these bills are important for securing America’s wireless future, and we hope they won’t languish in the Senate. 

Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) released the following statement on the bill’s passage: “These bipartisan bills will help us achieve a national priority for the United States: winning the global race to 5G. This technology holds the key to the possibility of self-driving cars, the Internet of Things, telemedicine, rural broadband, and many other doors we have yet to open. Our legislation from the Energy and Commerce Committee will help develop a strategy to secure 5G wireless networks across the United States, solidify America’s position as a global 5G leader, and ensure our national security interests are upheld in international 5G standards. The future of connectivity in America relies on 5G and we urge swift action in the Senate to send these bipartisan measures to President Trump’s desk.” 

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The Regulatory Mix Today: US House 5G Legislation, FCC Digital Opportunity Fund

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FCC Digital Opportunity Fund  

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that he and his fellow Commissioners will vote on final rules to launch the new $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund at the FCC’s January 30, 2020, Open Meeting.  The order would establish a two-phased process to provide funding for the deployment of high-speed broadband in areas of the United States where there is currently not fixed broadband service that meets the FCC’s minimum speed standard (25/3 Mbps).  

“While we’ve made substantial progress in expanding broadband deployment over the last three years, the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund would be the biggest step the FCC has taken to date to close the digital divide,” said Chairman Pai. “This new fund would target rural areas across the country where residents currently lack access to adequate broadband and would deploy high-speed broadband to millions of rural Americans in an efficient and effective manner. In particular, as suggested by many Members of Congress, to encourage support for broadband networks that will stand the test of time, we are taking new steps to prioritize the deployment of faster-speed service, including gigabit connections.” 

The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund would allocate $20.4 billion through a reverse-auction format to connect millions of rural homes and small businesses to high-speed broadband networks.  It would target areas that lack access to 25/3 Mbps broadband services in two stages. For Phase I, the FCC would target $16 billion to areas that are wholly unserved by such broadband; for Phase II, the FCC would use its new granular broadband mapping approach, called the Digital Opportunity Data Collection, to target unserved households in areas that are partially served by such broadband (areas where some households have access to such service but others do not). Phase II would also include areas that do not receive winning bids in Phase. Inteserra Briefing Service subscribers see Briefing dated 8/27/19 on proposed rules. 

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The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.