A 5% bonus too all shield modules would be a better bonus then just a plain reload bonus. Make regulators and rechargers/energizers worth it!

Assaults are about offensive capabilities, therefore they should have bonuses to increase weapon effectiveness. HP related things fit better on sentinels, not assaults. That being said, I don't think the reload bonus is nearly as appealing as some of the others, I would bundle (kind of like how Minmatar scout is getting hacking speed and knife damage bundled in one bonus) it with an ammo reserves bonus, and a kick reduction bonus to make it more useful. Maybe even an effective range bonus, if the rail weapons get an effective range reduction to compensate. I guess I would also be fine with the reload bonus being bundled with a 3% shield module efficacy or recharge bonus, as long as they also keep a weapon related bonus for hybrid-railgun weapons.

The best defense is the best offense. We need an extender bonus because the TTK is WAAAY to low for a race that has the beastier tanking capabilities. They are the shield version of amarr on eve as far as just being able to take on hell of a beating. I'd definitly take 5% bonus to shield HP per level on a suit that only can get around 550 HP at proto. Were as a balanced Gallente suit with a repper can get over 700.

Keep in mind this isn't the only change to rifles, and this is part of the larger effort to tackle the TTK problem. We'll have more details soon.

CCP is already going to handle TTK

Shield tanking isn't about HP, its about long term suitability through regeneration, and speed.

We know but lets be serious. Who uses regulators and rechargers/energizers instead of plates and extenders? Pretty much nobody. I want to have a regulator that's useful but CCP might not provide that.

Whatever problems shield mods have, it should be addressed on the shield mods themselves, and not through a bonus that would only effect one suit.

I think the reason behind the bonus to reload is to be a weapon bonus rather than defensive bonus, in order to encourage the Assault feel to the suit. That being said the reload bonus is disappointing for Cal play style. Really you have all the time in the world to reload in the redline .
I joke, I jokeGǪ. Kinda.
With the propensity for long range fighting it seems to be less of a benefit, unless the clip sizes of Cal weapons are taking a hit . Perhaps a rate of fire increase, though I am not sure how that would affect the intended design or changes coming.

I think the ROF would boost the caldari weapons tremendously, but it kinda goes against their whole design philosophy of slow ROF heavy hitting weapons (RR FG and SR) and may lead to some balancing issues. The rapid reload just tells me that CCP is out of ideas.... Kinda like the Minmatar assault bonus up til this point was side arm clip size... side arm... WTF? lol

Would a Range increase be viable?
Or a zoom increase? (I don't even know if that is possible from a design perspective but it would be awesome.)

I would appreciate either if they weren't planning on nerfing the RR to hell instead of just reducing CQC capability like they should. As you pointed put the Caldari weapons are sort of... camp oriented... or defending weapons as I like to call them. Killing them before they can get close is what it's about so yea, I think so.