Open RAN Outreach Act
This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers regarding the benefits, uses, and challenges of Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) standards and other open network architectures. (Open RAN is a nonproprietary, standardized network deployment approach that promotes open networks with interoperable equipment and virtualized network operations.)
The NTIA must also conduct outreach and provide assistance to small providers regarding participation in the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund, a competitive grant program that funds efforts to accelerate the development, deployment, and adoption of Open RAN.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2037 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2037
To provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers
regarding Open RAN networks, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2025
Mr. Carter of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. Hudson) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide outreach and technical assistance to small providers
regarding Open RAN networks, and for other purposes.
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.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-184.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-184.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 149.
Mr. Latta moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3217-3218)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2037.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3217)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.