Rural broadband advocates tell subcommittee permitting reform could speed deployments on federal lands
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Summary
NTCA and rural providers urged approval of H.R. 5,419 to require Interior and USDA reviews of permitting for communications infrastructure on federal lands, citing multiagency delays that can stall projects for over a year and increase costs for small providers.
Representatives and industry witnesses told the House subcommittee that H.R. 5,419, the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act, could reduce lengthy permitting delays that hinder rural broadband projects.
Brian Ford, vice president of federal regulatory at NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association, said his members often face a "mire of permitting requirements" across agencies when projects touch Forest Service, BLM or other federal lands, and that delays of a year or more are common. He described typical small providers serving roughly 6,000 customers and said wasted time can lead to idle construction crews and higher project costs.
Members asked for examples from Idaho and other states where ownership patchworks complicate permitting; Ford said the bill would identify "common points of failure" inside agencies and allow Congress to target reforms to accelerate approvals.
The witness testimony emphasized coordination between Interior and Agriculture and the need for an all-of-government approach to bridge the digital divide on a timetable consistent with private investment in deployment. The subcommittee did not vote on the measure at the hearing.