WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) recently joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017. This legislation would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to standardize its methods of collecting mobile broadband coverage data, making certain the FCC can gather the comprehensive and consistent data required to expand broadband deployment effectively as they work to target unserved and underserved rural communities.

“Millions of rural Americans in Kansas and many other states depend on the promise of mobile broadband buildout efforts, and this critical expansion depends on the accuracy of current coverage data and uniformity in how it is collected,” said Senator Moran. “As we work to close the broadband gap, our providers must have standardized, clear data so they can plan out ways to reach communities most in need of access.”

The bill was also sponsored by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

The Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017 would direct the FCC to establish a methodology to:

• Ensure that wireless coverage data is collected in a consistent and robust way;
• Improve the validity and reliability of wireless coverage data; and
• Increase the efficiency of wireless coverage data collection.

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