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H.R. 2037 · House bill · 119th Congress
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.
This Act may be cited as the “Open RAN Outreach Act”.
(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 architecture and published open standards for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.