7 U.S.C. § 950bb: Federal broadband program coordination

The Secretary shall consult with the Assistant Secretary to assist in the verification of eligibility of the broadband loan and grant programs of the Department of Agriculture. In providing assistance under the preceding sentence, the Assistant Secretary shall make available the broadband assessment and mapping capabilities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Secretary shall consult with the Commission before providing broadband assistance for a project to serve an area with respect to which another entity is receiving Connect America Fund or Mobility Fund support under the Federal universal service support mechanisms established under section 254 of title 47 . The Commission shall consult with the Secretary before offering or providing Connect America Fund or Mobility Fund support under the Federal universal service support mechanisms established under section 254 of title 47 to serve an area with respect to which another entity has received broadband assistance under a loan or grant program of the Department of Agriculture. Promote high-quality broadband service that meets the long-term needs of rural residents and businesses, by evaluating the broadband service needs in rural areas for each decade through 2050. The real-world performance of such technologies, including data rates, latency, data usage restrictions, and other aspects of service quality, as defined by the Commission. The suitability of each such technology for residential, agricultural, educational, healthcare, commercial, and industrial purposes in rural areas. The cost to deploy and support such technologies in several rural geographies. The costs associated with online platforms, specifically the resulting constraints on rural network bandwidth. Harmonize broadband notification and reporting requirements and develop common verification procedures across all federally supported broadband programs. Consolidate and utilize the existing broadband service data. support under a broadband assistance program of the Department of Agriculture; or Connect America Fund or Mobility Fund support under the Federal universal service support mechanisms established under section 254 of title 47 . Leverage support technologies and services from online platforms for providers of broadband service in rural areas. The term “Assistant Secretary” means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information. The term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission. The term “rural area” has the meaning given the term in section 950bb(b)(3) of this title .