Federal Wi-Net Act - Requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) to: (1) install or retrofit wireless Internet connections in federal buildings; and (2) allow eligible carriers, upon request, to install wireless neutral host systems in all publicly accessible federal buildings.
Authorizes the executive agency controlling a federal government building to grant an easement or rights-of-way, for the installation, construction, and maintenance of wireless transmitters and backhaul transmission, to an executive agency, state, or individual applicant.
Requires the Administrator to establish a fee for awarding such easement or rights-of-way that is based on fair market prices, subject to certain exceptions. Requires any fees collected to be used by the relevant agency for construction and maintenance of Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless neutral host systems.
Directs the Administrator to develop one or more master contracts to govern the placement of wireless transmitters on federal government buildings.
[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3995 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3995
To direct the Administrator of the General Services Administration to
install Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless neutral host systems in all Federal
buildings in order to improve in-building wireless communications
coverage and commercial network capacity by offloading wireless traffic
onto wireline broadband networks.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
December 1, 2010
Ms. Snowe (for herself and Mr. Warner) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and
Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the General Services Administration to
install Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless neutral host systems in all Federal
buildings in order to improve in-building wireless communications
coverage and commercial network capacity by offloading wireless traffic
onto wireline broadband networks.
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 ``Federal Wi-Net Act''.
SEC. 2. INSTALLATION OF WI-FI HOTSPOTS AND WIRELESS NEUTRAL HOST
SYSTEMS IN ALL FEDERAL BUILDINGS.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the General Services
Administration shall--
(1) install Wi-Fi hotspots in all publicly accessible
Federal buildings constructed after the date of enactment of
this Act;
(2) allow for the installation of wireless neutral host
systems by any eligible carriers upon request in all publicly
accessible Federal buildings; and
(3) in a manner consistent with sound management
principles, retrofit all Federal buildings constructed prior to
the date of enactment of this Act on a timetable that reflects
the importance of wireless communication to the Federal
functions being performed by the occupants of such buildings,
provided that all such building shall be retrofitted not later
than December 31, 2013.
(b) Funding.--There shall be made available from the Federal
Buildings Fund established under section 592 of title 40, United States
Code, $15,000,000 to carry out this section. Such sums shall be derived
from the unobligated balance of amounts made available from the Federal
Buildings Fund for fiscal year 2010, and prior fiscal years, for
repairs and alterations and other activities (excluding amounts made
available for the energy program). Such sums shall remain available
until expended.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL EASEMENTS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY.
(a) Grant.--If an executive agency, a State, a political
subdivision or agency of a State, or a person applies for the grant of
an easement or rights-of-way to, in, over, or on a building owned by
the Federal Government for the right to install, construct, and
maintain wireless transmitters and backhaul transmission, the executive
agency having control of the building may grant to the applicant, on
behalf of the Federal Government, an easement or rights-of-way to
perform such installation, construction, and maintenance.
(b) Application.--The Administrator of the General Services
Administration shall develop a common form for rights-of-way
applications required under subsection (a) for all executive agencies
that shall be used by applicants with respect to the buildings of each
such agency.
(c) Fee.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, in making a grant of an easement or rights-of-way pursuant
to subsection (a), the Administrator of the General Services
Administration shall establish a reasonable fee for the award
of such grant that is based on fair market prices.
(2) Exceptions.--The Administrator of the General Services
Administration may establish exceptions to the fee amount
required under paragraph (1)--
(A) in consideration of the public benefit provided
by a grant of an easement or rights-of-way; and
(B) in the interest of expanding wireless and
broadband coverage.
(d) Use of Fees Collected.--Any fee amounts collected by an
executive agency pursuant to subsection (b) shall be used by the agency
for the construction and maintenance of Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless
neutral host systems.
SEC. 4. MASTER CONTRACTS FOR WIRELESS TRANSMITTER SITINGS.
(a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 704 of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, or any regulation pursuant thereto, or
any other provision of law, and not later than 60 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the General Services
Administration shall develop one or more master contracts that shall
govern the placement of wireless transmitters on buildings owned by the
Federal Government. Such master contract shall, with respect to the
siting of wireless transmitters, standardize the treatment of covering
rooftop space, equipment, and technology, and any other key issues that
the Administrator determines appropriate.
(b) Applicability.--The master contract developed by the
Administrator of the General Services Administration under subsection
(a) shall apply to all publicly accessible buildings owned by the
Federal Government, unless the Administrator decides that local issues
with respect to the siting of wireless transmitters requires non-
standard treatment of a specific building.
(c) Application.--The Administrator of the General Services
Administration shall develop a common form or set of forms for wireless
transmitter siting applications required under this section for all
executive agencies that shall be used by applicants with respect to the
buildings of each such agency.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) Wireless neutral host system.--The term ``wireless
neutral host system'' means a small cellular communications
base station and related antenna, such as a femtocell,
picocell, or similar device or apparatus, that is connected to
a broadband service to provide--
(A) improved cellular coverage within a building;
and
(B) increased network capacity.
(2) Wi-fi hotspot.--The term ``Wi-Fi hotspot'' means a site
or area in which the public can access the Internet via a
wireless connection.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S8350)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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