H.R. 8147 — Prioritizing Rural Broadband Affordability Act

This section amends the rural broadband program by requiring the Secretary to consider broadband affordability when determining whether (1) households are unserved for grant, loan, and loan guarantee priority purposes under subsection (c)(2) and (2) proposed service territories are unserved for entity eligibility purposes under subsection (d)(2). (The program provides USDA grants, loans, and loan guarantees for constructing, improving, or acquiring broadband facilities and equipment in rural areas, previously prioritizing unserved communities lacking residential broadband service of at least 10 Mbps downstream/1 Mbps upstream.) (Thus, households and territories with existing broadband service may qualify as unserved if the service is unaffordable.)