Open Ran Outreach Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4032) to provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers regarding the benefits of Open RAN networks, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4032
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Open RAN Outreach Act''. SEC. 2. OUTREACH AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SMALL PROVIDERS REGARDING OPEN RAN NETWORKS.
(a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers--
(1) to raise awareness regarding the uses, benefits, and challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network architectures; and
(2) regarding participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program established under section 9202(a)(1) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283).
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, acting through the head of the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth.
(2) Open network architecture.--The term ``open network architecture'' means Open RAN networks and other network elements that follow a set of published open standards for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability, including open core and open transport.
(3) Open ran network.--The term ``Open RAN network'' means a wireless network that follows the Open Radio Access Network approach to standardization adopted by the O-RAN Alliance, Telecom Infra Project, or Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or any similar set of published open standards for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.
Amend the title so as to read: ``A bill to provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers regarding Open RAN networks, and for other purposes.''.
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Mr. PALLONE. 4032.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4032, the Open RAN Outreach Act.
Open RAN, or Open Radio Access Network, technology is an emerging wireless network architecture that has the potential to drive 5G innovation forward. But like any new technology, we still have much to learn about the possibilities, complexities, and challenges of Open RAN. This is especially true for smaller communications providers.
This bill steps up to the challenge by providing small communications providers with the support they need to determine whether Open RAN is an appropriate network solution for them. Under the bill, the Assistant Secretary of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, will be required to engage in outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications providers concerning the uses, benefits, and challenges of Open RAN and other open network architectures.
NTIA will also inquire about the providers' participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program, which was established in the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
Madam Speaker, I commend Representatives Allred, O'Halleran, Guthrie, and Hudson for their bipartisan work on this bill. This is a good bill, as it ensures that our country's small communications providers have the necessary help to make informed decisions about the need for new technology in their wireless networks.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill in a bipartisan manner, and I look forward to its consideration in the Senate.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred).
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would ask that Members support this bill that helps our small communications providers, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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