Sponsors (22)
The bill clarifies and broadens what counts as 'broadband' and gives the FCC flexibility to adapt coverage to new technologies—strengthening enforceable consumer protections—while increasing regulatory exposure and near-term uncertainty for providers.
Consumers (taxpayers) gain clearer legal protections because the bill defines 'broadband internet access service,' making it easier for courts and agencies to apply and enforce the law consistently.
State and local governments (and ultimately consumers) benefit because the FCC can treat functionally equivalent services as broadband, letting regulation adapt as technology changes.
Utilities, energy companies, and other providers could face expanded regulatory or criminal exposure because the bill's broader statutory definition increases the range of services treated as covered 'broadband.'
Utilities, energy companies, and tech workers may face regulatory uncertainty in the near term because the FCC is delegated functional-equivalence determinations until it issues guidance or rulings.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds a statutory definition of broadband to 18 U.S.C. §1362 to cover mass‑market wired or wireless internet services (excluding dial‑up) and FCC equivalents.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by Laurel Lee · Last progress April 9, 2025
Amends federal criminal law to add a statutory definition of “broadband internet access service” and updates related text in the existing statute. One section establishes a short title; the other inserts a modern definition that covers mass‑market wired or wireless internet services (excluding dial‑up) and services the FCC deems functionally equivalent, which broadens the statute's reach to contemporary broadband networks.