USTelecom, WIA applaud Senate’s Burgum’s confirmation as Interior Secretary
The U.S. Senate’s confirmation of former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum drew praise from telecom industry advocacy groups USTelecom and the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA) with the hope that his post will help to accelerate broadband builds with less burdensome permitting processes.
President Donald Trump has tasked the former North Dakota governor to spearhead the Republican administration’s ambitions to increase fossil fuel production.
USTelecom President and CEO Jonathan Spalter said in a release that Burgum could create an environment that helps accelerate broadband deployment, particularly in rural areas.
“With broadband spurring economic growth in rural communities across the nation, Secretary Burgum will have the opportunity to get rid of the red tape delaying permitting approvals on federal lands,” he said. “This will be an important step forward to help accelerate broadband deployment.”
Likewise, Partick Halley, President and CEO of WIA, said he was hopeful that a more streamlined permitting process could drive further wireless service expansion.
“The US government is the country's largest landowner, and DOI has a critical role in managing federal lands, including permitting for wireless infrastructure,” he said in a release. “We look forward to working with him to ensure predictable, proportional, and transparent permitting processes and connecting more Americans everywhere.”
Breaking permitting log jams
Industry groups are concerned that the permitting process on federal lands hinders the faster rollout of broadband services, particularly in rural markets.
In a letter sent to the Trump administration, USTelecom’s Spalter said, “Nowhere is the ability of the gears of government to grind all progress to a halt more glaringly apparent than in the painfully slow process of obtaining the federal permits broadband providers require to make universal connectivity a reality.”
USTelecom cited one provider in Utah's almost three-year wait for permission to repair an existing fiber optic line on federal lands.
He suggested that Congress accelerate approval for more broadband projects on federal lands.
“With a third of our nation’s land under federal control, federal permitting reform would provide an immediate adrenaline shot to the capacity, sophistication, reach and security of our nation’s information infrastructure,” Spalter wrote.
Enabling wireless growth
The WIA is keen to ease permitting so the wireless industry can get service to more consumers and businesses.
In early January, the WIA released its “A Roadmap to Unlocking Connectivity Everywhere in the Next Administration,” a policy playbook that aims to accelerate wireless deployments.
Along with creating new policies around spectrum and workforce development, WIA’s playbook encourages the Trump Administration to focus on two goals: setting a predictable, proportionate, and transparent national framework for broadband permitting and right-sizing federal review of communications infrastructure projects.
“As we move into 2025, the Trump Administration and Congress have a unique opportunity to enact infrastructure policy reforms that will serve as a springboard for finishing 5G deployment and setting the stage for all the future G’s,” WIA said in its policy playbook.
Supporting the American Broadband Deployment Act (ABDA)
While WIA and USTelecom have their missions, they have united with other telecom industry advocacy groups to support the American Broadband Deployment Act (ABDA).
Joining WIA and USTelecom, other industry groups that cited support for ADBA include the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, INCOMPAS, NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association, NCTA, NTCA, Rural Wireless Association, USTelecom and the Wireless Infrastructure Association WISPA — Broadband Without Borders.
ABDA is a legislative package that aims to codify several major permitting reforms enacted by the FCC and rightsize federal rules for broadband permitting on federal lands to spur deployment.
In September, this group sent a letter to House Speaker Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urging them to adopt the American Broadband Deployment Act (ABDA).
The groups said, “Congress has the opportunity to provide clear and streamlined rules through ABDA to prevent these bottlenecks from occurring.”
A key benefit is that ABDA will provide predictable timelines for application processes, including “shot clocks” on permit applications for network facilities.
The ABDA proposal provides timelines for deciding upon an application and “deemed granted” relief where an authority fails to act on the application in the given time. This maintains a role for municipalities but gives them a deadline and provides industry with certainty, resulting in quicker connectivity for communities.
Additionally, ABDA looks to improve siting on federal lands and reduce “red tape” for applications to deploy or enhance communications networks.
“If enacted, this bill would ensure that all communities have consistent rules for siting infrastructure, speeding deployment, and reducing overall costs for consumers,” the group said in the letter.
ABDA has already garnered support from Brendan Carr, who Donald Trump tapped as the FCC’s new chairman.
Carr previously stated that ABDA “would codify a lot of really smart ideas . . . that ensure we can build out broadband in a cost-effective way.”
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Sean Buckley
Sean is responsible for establishing and executing the editorial strategies of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report across their websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products.