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Round-Up for the Week of July 14-18, 2025

This week, the House of Representatives passed nine communications and technology bills;  the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate. These bills encompass a wide range of broadband-related policy aims, primarily focusing on consumer safety, cybersecurity, and wireless innovation. We're looking at how they can impact broadband consumers if they eventually become law.

ITS Codification Act 

The House passed the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) Codification Act (H.R.1455) by voice vote.

The Institute for Telecommunication Sciences is the research and engineering laboratory of the U.S. Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). ITS manages the telecommunications technology research programs of NTIA, addresses other federal agencies’ telecommunications and spectrum research needs, and engages directly with industry and academia for its research and development projects.

H.R.1455 strengthens the statutory authority of the ITS testing center, which informs NTIA's spectrum policy decisions. The bill also directs ITS to establish an initiative to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies for use in locating people trapped in areas where mobile connectivity may not be available due to natural disasters and other devastating events.

In President Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill, Congress renewed the Federal Communications Commission's spectrum auction authority, freeing up more spectrum for commercial use. The FCC must work with NTIA to auction off said spectrum, which in turn involves ITS. This bill builds on the Trump Administration's efforts to boost spectrum innovation and invest more heavily in wireless connectivity.

This bill was sponsored by Reps. Earl Carter (R-GA) and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), who praised the bill's passage by the House this week. Both representatives emphasized the importance of ITS for spectrum policy competition and exploring how mobile connectivity can boost disaster resiliency. Rep Carter said:

Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act

The Precision Agriculture Satellite Connectivity Act (H.R.1618) requires the FCC to review its rules relating to fixed satellite service, mobile satellite service, and earth exploration satellite service to determine if there are rule changes that the agency could implement under existing authority to promote precision agriculture. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) and the House passed it by voice vote.

Precision agriculture generally describes various crop management tools and practices that leverage technology like Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment and unmanned aircraft systems (drones) to optimize production and sustainability.

In conducting its review, the FCC must consult with the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture, which advises the FCC on methods to assess and advance broadband internet on unserved agricultural land and promote precision agriculture. The Task Force was created by the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (The Farm Bill) by the FCC in partnership with the Department of Agriculture. Its members include private companies in the agriculture and broadband sectors as well as universities, state farm bureaus, and other state or regional organizations.

If it becomes law, H.R.1618 would require the FCC to submit a report on the results of its review to Congress within 15 months.

The House of Representatives previously approved a version of this bill in 2023, but it did not pass the Senate.

Rep Latta said, “I’m committed to ensuring our farmers have the tools needed at their disposal to help increase productivity while minimizing costs...This legislation is a good step forward in that mission.”

Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act

Sponsored by Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH), the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act (H.R.1709) requires the NTIA to examine and report on the cybersecurity of mobile service networks and the vulnerability of these networks and mobile devices to cyberattacks and surveillance conducted by adversaries.

An adversary can mean any unauthorized hacker or other intruder into a mobile service network and any foreign government or foreign non-government person engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.

NTIA would be required to produce a report that includes, among other points:

1. An assessment of the degree to which mobile service providers have addressed certain cybersecurity vulnerabilities;
2. A discussion of the degree to which these providers have implemented cybersecurity best practices and risk assessment frameworks; and
3. An estimate of the prevalence and efficacy of encryption and authentication algorithms and techniques.

The report must be conducted within a year of the bill's enactment. 

The bill passed 360-10, with ten Republican dissenters. Rep. Landsman took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the bill's passage, saying, "Foreign adversaries are actively working to divide us. This bill will strengthen our communications systems, critical to national security and keeping Americans safe."

Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2025

The Promoting U.S. Wireless Leadership Act of 2025 (H.R.1765) directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (or the head of NTIA, which may soon be nominee Arielle Roth) to take certain actions to enhance the representation of the United States and promote U.S. leadership in communications standards-setting bodies.

Specifically, NTIA would be required to encourage U.S. telecommunications companies as they engage with global communications standards-setting entities and provide support to them through technical expertise and facilitation. NTIA would have to submit a report on its progress to Congress within 60 days of enactment.

Passed on a voice vote, H.R.1765 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), who celebrated the bill's passage this week.

NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act

Sponsored by Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), the NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act (H.R. 1766) establishes an Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity within NTIA to analyze and develop policies related to internet and communications technologies.

This would codify the current Office of Policy Analysis and Development (OPAD) and rename it the Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity. Currently, OPAD develops, analyzes, and advocates Internet and communications-related public policies that promote digital inclusion, innovation, competition, jobs, and economic growth for public benefit.

Specific activities of the new office would include, among many other priorities:

1. Developing market-based policies that promote innovation, competition, consumer access, digital inclusion, workforce development, and economic growth in the communications, media, and technology markets;
2. Conducting studies on how individuals in the U.S. access and use the internet, wireline and wireless telephony, mass media, other digital services, and video services;
3. Coordinating transparent, consensus-based, multistakeholder processes to create guidance for and to support the development and implementation of cybersecurity and privacy policies with respect to the internet and other communications networks;
4. Strengthening collaboration on and coordination of policies relating to innovation and commercialization with respect to communications technologies, including policies focused on the needs of small businesses and rural communities; and
5. Advocating for policies that promote the security and resilience to cybersecurity incidents of communications networks while fostering innovation, including policies that promote secure communications network supply chains.

The existing Associate Administrator of OPAD (currently Jaisha Wray) must be redesignated as Associate Administrator for Policy Development and Cybersecurity and serve as the head of the office.

Rep. Obernolte said, "This legislation strengthens NTIA’s role in cybersecurity policy and protects U.S. communications networks from emerging threats. It also ensures stronger coordination to safeguard our infrastructure and supports small and rural providers."

Consumer Safety Technology Act

The Consumer Safety Technology Act (H.R.1770) was sponsored by Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL). This bill establishes a pilot program to explore the use of artificial intelligence to support the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Specifically, the CPSC must consult with relevant stakeholders, such as data scientists and product manufacturers, and use artificial intelligence for at least one of the following purposes:

1. Tracking trends in injuries involving consumer products;
2. Identifying consumer product hazards;
3. Monitoring the sale of recalled consumer products; or
4. Identifying consumer products that do not meet specified importation requirements related to product safety.

The CPSC pilot program must be established within a year of the bill's enactment. One year after the conclusion of the pilot program, the CPSC must submit a report to Congress on its findings.

The bill also requires the Department of Commerce to report on existing and emerging uses of blockchain technology for consumer protection, and the Federal Trade Commission to report on its efforts to prevent unfair or deceptive practices relating to digital tokens.

Also included in the Consumer Safety Technology Act are the Blockchain Technology Innovation Act and the Token Taxonomy Act. These portions of the bill require the Department of Commerce to report on existing and emerging uses of blockchain technology for consumer protection, and the Federal Trade Commission to report on its efforts to prevent unfair or deceptive practices relating to digital tokens.

Open RAN Outreach Act

The Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) Outreach Act (H.R.2037) involves NTIA advocating for more Open RAN use by small wireless internet service providers. Open RAN is a nonproprietary, standardized network deployment approach that promotes open networks with interoperable equipment and virtualized network operations. This bill requires NTIA to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers regarding the benefits, uses, and challenges of Open RAN standards and other open network architectures.

NTIA must also conduct outreach and provide assistance to small providers in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, a competitive grant program funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, that supports efforts to accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of Open RAN.

Passed on a voice vote, the Open RAN Outreach Act was introduced by Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA), who said:

This past May, NTIA announced it had received 94 applications requesting nearly $3 billion in federal funding and proposing more than $1.3 billion in private investment to support innovation in wireless equipment as part of its third round of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund. NTIA distributed over $550 million in its first two rounds, with the program offering a total of $1.5 billion in funding. However, in President Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill, $850 million in funds from this program were rescinded.

Communications and Security Act

The Communications Security Act (H.R.1717) would provide statutory authority for a council established by the FCC to provide advice regarding the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks (This advice is currently provided by the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council).

The bill specifies that the FCC may designate an existing advisory committee to fulfill this role, provided the committee’s membership is modified, as necessary, to comply with membership requirements set forth in the bill. 

Specifically, the bill requires the council to include, to the extent practicable, representatives of companies in the communications industry; public interest organizations or academic institutions; and federal, state, tribal, and local governments (with at least one member representing each level of government). Members are to be selected by the FCC's chair (currently Chairman Brendan Carr) and generally may not include representatives of entities owned or controlled by, or subject to the influence of, a foreign adversary, or otherwise deemed to pose a threat to U.S. national security. 

Under current law, federal advisory committees must generally terminate after two years unless they are renewed or a statute specifies a different termination date. However, the bill exempts the council from this requirement.

The FCC must establish this council within 90 days of the enactment of the bill. 

The bill passed the House on a 380-33 vote, with 32 Republicans opposing the measure. The Communications and Security Act was authored by Reps. Rob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Joyce (R-PA), who praised the passage of the bill and advocated for the council on the grounds of improving communications disaster resiliency and cybersecurity protections.

What Awaits in the Senate?

These bills all move to the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Committee for consideration. The Senate is in session until August 1st, which is fast approaching. We won't likely see movement on these bills until September at the earliest, but we'll be watching to see what happens.

Quick Bits

• State-by-State “Benefit of the Bargain” Round BEAD Update
• FCC's Summer Agenda
• Senate approves cuts to NPR, PBS and foreign aid programs
• The Global A.I. Divide

Weekend Reads

• The broadband competitive landscape on the eve of BEAD
• Wisconsin's 2025 Governor's Task Force on Broadband Access Report
• Broadband infrastructure sharing as a catalyst for rural digital economy: A systematic review for developing countries
• Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions

ICYMI from Benton

• Measuring How States and Tribes Are Collaborating in the BEAD Program
• Beyond Binary: Bridging the LGBTQ Digital Divide
• The Big, Beautiful… Broadband Bill?
• What Does It Cost a Family to Lose Home Internet Access?

Upcoming Events

Jul 23—Navigating E-Rate Federal Policy (Libraries for Digital Equity)

Jul 24—July 2025 Open Federal Communications Commission Meeting (Federal Communications Commission)

Jul 24––Privacy, Technology, and Protecting Democracy: A Conversation with Daniel Solove (New America)

Jul 25––2025 Former FCC Chairs Symposium (Multicultural Media Telecom and Internet Council)

Jul 30––The Inside Scoop: Bridging the Divide to Move Higher Education Forward (New America)

The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people in the U.S. have access to competitive, High-Performance Broadband regardless of where they live or who they are. We believe communication policy - rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity - has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities.

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