NTCA Applauds Committee Passage of the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act

NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association released the following statement from CEO Mike Romano applauding the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for passing the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act out of committee today. The bill, which was introduced by Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), would improve federal agencies' review and processing of broadband permits by removing regulations and ensuring applications are processed within 270 days.

"Persistent permitting barriers continue to harm communities nationwide by delaying and increasing the cost of broadband deployment," said NTCA CEO Mike Romano. "These barriers are often the result of permitting processes that are inefficient, outdated, or simply not working as intended. I applaud Majority Leader Thune, Senator Luján, and others on the Committee for their leadership in streamlining and accelerating broadband deployment. The Accelerating Broadband Permits Act is an important step in the right direction to address excessive delays and their attendant costs that impede deployment and modernization of broadband infrastructure."