Bill > S98

This bill, known as the Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025, mandates that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) establish a thorough vetting process for any entity seeking to receive funding from the high-cost universal service program, which aims to ensure broadband access in rural areas. This new process will apply to any new awards of "covered funding," which includes money for building broadband networks and providing services, especially those awarded through competitive bidding. Applicants will need to demonstrate they have the technical, financial, and operational capacity, along with a viable business plan, to successfully deploy the proposed network and meet performance standards. The FCC will evaluate these proposals against established technical, financial, and operational standards, and also consider the applicant's past performance in similar government broadband funding programs. Furthermore, the bill sets penalties for "pre-authorization defaults" (meaning failing to meet obligations after an award is granted but before full deployment) at a minimum of $9,000 per violation, with limitations on how much the base penalty can be reduced.