Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2016

Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill exempts any small business broadband Internet access service provider with not more than 250,000 subscribers from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under which any person providing broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for:

• consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and
• content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.

The FCC shall:

• report to Congress, within 180 days of enactment of this bill, its recommendations (including supporting data) on whether the exception should be made permanent, and whether the definition of "small business," for purposes of the exception, should be modified; and
• within 180 days after such report, commence a rulemaking proceeding to implement the recommendations.

This small business exception shall terminate after the later of: (1) three years after enactment of this bill; or (2) the date on which the FCC adopts rules in its rulemaking proceeding for implementing its recommendations.