1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Connecting Broadband Deserts Act of 2018 . 2. Annual inquiry on deployment of advanced telecommunications capability in broadband deserts Title I of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 13. Annual inquiry on deployment of advanced telecommunications capability in broadband deserts (a) In general The Commission shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, initiate a notice of inquiry concerning the availability of advanced telecommunications capability in broadband deserts and shall complete the inquiry not later than 180 days after its initiation. In the inquiry, the Commission shall determine whether advanced telecommunications capability is being deployed in broadband deserts in a reasonable and timely fashion, including the extent to which digital redlining is occurring. If the Commission determines that advanced telecommunications capability is not being deployed in broadband deserts in a reasonable and timely fashion, it shall take immediate action to accelerate deployment of such capability in broadband deserts by removing barriers to infrastructure investment and by promoting competition in the telecommunications market. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Advanced telecommunications capability The term advanced telecommunications capability has the meaning given such term in section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ( 47 U.S.C. 1302 ). (2) Broadband desert The term broadband desert means a census block— (A) that is located in an urban area