BOOST Act

Broadening Online Opportunities through Simple Technologies Act or the BOOST Act

This bill establishes a new refundable tax credit, through 2029, for expenses paid to purchase a Wi-Fi signal booster for use in a principal residence. (Some limitations apply.)

The bill allows a taxpayer located in an unserved area a one-time, refundable tax credit for 75% (up to $400) of expenses paid to purchase

• a communications signal booster (any device that receives a wireless signal or a commercial data service signal in order to increase the strength or range of the signal and in connection with retransmitting a broadband internet access service signal),
• any customer premises equipment for use with satellite networks, or
• any ground station equipment to send and receive transmissions from satellite networks.

Under the bill, an unserved area is defined as an area eligible for certain funding under the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (generally areas where internet speeds are below 25 megabits per second for downloading and 3 megabits per second for uploading).

Finally, under the bill, the Department of the Treasury is required to issue regulations and guidance on the new tax credit and a program for sellers of signal boosters to voluntarily report sales of such devices in unserved areas.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov