View all text of Chapter 12 [§ 1301 - § 1308]
§ 1307. Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth
(a) Short title
(b) Establishment
(c) Duties
(1) Outreach
The Office shall—
(A) connect with communities that need access to high-speed internet and improved digital inclusion efforts through various forms of outreach and communication techniques;
(B) hold regional workshops across the country to share best practices and effective strategies for promoting broadband access and adoption;
(C) develop targeted broadband training and presentations for various demographic communities through various media;
(D) develop and distribute publications (including toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) providing guidance, strategies, and insights to communities as the communities develop strategies to expand broadband access and adoption; and
(E) as applicable in carrying out subparagraphs (A) through (D), coordinate with State agencies that provide similar broadband investments, outreach, and coordination through Federal programs.
(2) Tracking of Federal dollars
(A) Broadband infrastructure
(B) Accounting mechanism
(C) Report
Not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, and every year thereafter, the Office shall make public on the website of the Office and submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the following:
(i) A description of the work of the Office for the previous year and the number of residents of the United States that received broadband as result of Federal broadband support programs and the Universal Service Fund Programs.
(ii) A description of how many residents of the United States were provided broadband by which universal service mechanism or which Federal broadband support program.
(iii) An estimate of the economic impact of such broadband deployment efforts on local economies, including any effect on small businesses or jobs.
(d) Relation to current broadband activities of NTIA
(e) Streamlined applications for support
(1) Agency consultation
(2) Agency streamlining
(3) Single application
(4) Website required
(f) Coordination of support
(1) In general
To ensure that Federal support for broadband deployment is being distributed in an efficient, technology-neutral, and financially sustainable manner, and that a program does not duplicate any other Federal broadband support program or any Universal Service Fund high-cost program—
(A) any agency that offers a Federal broadband support program shall coordinate with the Office consistent with the goals described in paragraph (2); and
(B) the Office, with respect to Federal broadband support programs, and the Commission, with respect to the Universal Service Fund high-cost programs, shall coordinate with each other consistent with the goals described in paragraph (2).
(2) Goals
The goals of any coordination conducted pursuant to this subsection are the following:
(A) Serving the largest number of unserved locations in the United States and ensuring all residents of the United States have access to high-speed broadband.
(B) Promoting the most job and economic growth for all residents of the United States.
(3) Broadband availability maps
(g) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Agency
(2) Assistant Secretary
(3) Commission
(4) Federal broadband support program
The term “Federal broadband support program” does not include any Universal Service Fund Program and means any of the following programs (or any other similar Federal program) to the extent the program offers broadband internet service, support for broadband deployment, or programs for promoting broadband access and adoption for various demographic communities through various media for residential, commercial, community providers, or academic establishments:
(A) The Telecommunications and Technology Program of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
(B) The Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program established under the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 [7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.], the rural broadband access program established under title VI of that Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb et seq.), the initiative under section 306F of that Act (7 U.S.C. 936f), the Community Connect Grant Program established under section 604 of that Act (7 U.S.C. 950bb–3), the broadband loan and grant pilot program authorized under section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141; 132 Stat. 399) (commonly known as the “Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program” or the “ReConnect Program”), and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program under chapter 1 of subtitle D of title XXIII of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.).
(C) Community facility direct and guaranteed loans under section 1926(a) of title 7, community facility grants under paragraph (19), (20), or (21) of section 1926(a) of title 7, and the Rural Community Development Initiative authorized under the span “Rural Housing Service—Rural Community Facilities Program Account” under title III of division B of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116–94; 133 Stat. 2629).
(D) The Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Programs and the Planning and Local Technical Assistance Programs of the Economic Development Administration of the Department of Commerce.
(E) The Community Development Block Grants and Section 108 Loan Guarantees Programs, the Funds for Public Housing Authorities: Capital Fund and Operating Fund, the Multifamily Housing Programs, the Indian Community Development Block Grant Program, the Indian Housing Block Grant Program, the Title VI Loan Guarantee Program, the Choice Neighborhoods Program, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the Housing Trust Fund, and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(F) The American Job Centers of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor.
(G) The Library Services and Technology Grant Programs of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
(5) Office
(6) Universal Service Fund high-cost programs
The term “Universal Service Fund high-cost programs” means—
(A) the program for Universal Service Support for High-Cost Areas set forth under subpart D of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto;
(B) the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund set forth under subpart J of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto;
(C) the Interstate Common Line Support Mechanism for Rate-of-Return Carriers set forth under subpart K of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto;
(D) the Mobility Fund and 5G Fund set forth under subpart L of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; and
(E) the High Cost Loop Support for Rate-of-Return Carriers program set forth under subpart M of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
(7) Universal Service Fund Program
(8) Universal service mechanism
(h) Rule of construction
(Pub. L. 116–260, div. FF, title IX, § 903, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 3210.)