Sponsors (26)
The bill clarifies and broadens the statutory definition of broadband to give regulators flexibility to keep rules current with technology, at the cost of expanding regulatory exposure and creating near-term uncertainty for providers.
State and local governments and regulators gain flexibility because the bill lets the FCC treat functionally equivalent services as broadband, allowing coverage and regulation to adapt as technology evolves.
Consumers and taxpayers get clearer statutory protections because the bill defines 'broadband internet access service,' which should help courts and agencies apply the law more consistently.
Internet service providers, utilities, and tech workers may face expanded regulatory and potential criminal exposure because the broader statutory definition could bring more services under covered 'broadband' rules.
Providers (utilities and tech companies) may experience regulatory uncertainty in the short term because the bill delegates functional-equivalence determinations to the FCC until it issues guidance or rulings.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Clarifies that federal criminal protections for communications infrastructure cover modern broadband services and FCC‑designated equivalent services (dial‑up excluded).
Expands the federal criminal statute that protects communications infrastructure by adding a legal definition of "broadband internet access service." The bill defines broadband as a mass‑market retail service delivered by wire or radio that transmits and receives data to and from virtually all internet endpoints (excluding dial‑up) and also covers services the FCC finds functionally equivalent. The primary effect is to make clear that the existing protections in 18 U.S.C. §1362 apply to modern broadband services, including FCC‑determined equivalents. The measure itself is short and technical: it adds the definition and makes small unspecified textual edits to the existing statutory language.
Official title: To amend section 1362 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the destruction of broadband internet access service.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by Laurel Lee · Last progress April 9, 2025