Central ND News

WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) and Congressman Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) introduced the Enhancing Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act. This bill requires a study on barriers to reviewing requests within federal agencies to deploy broadband infrastructure on federal lands.

“Reliable broadband infrastructure is essential for rural states like North Dakota,” said Congressman Armstrong. “In our state, broadband infrastructure often crosses federal lands, requiring federal permits, which can take years to achieve, preventing many rural and tribal communities from getting the broadband access they need. This bill streamlines the permitting process and makes it easier for communities to increase connectivity.”

“The reality is that New Mexico ranks near the bottom for internet coverage, speed and availability. We must ensure the federal government is fully aware of the barriers our local communities face when it comes to accessing broadband,” said Congressman Vasquez. “Today, our families rely on internet access for everything. It allows for telehealth for those who can’t afford time off, it expands access to education, and it connects families across borders. I’m proud to work on with Rep. Armstrong to cut red tape to increase our constituents access to broadband.”

The Administrative Reviews for Broadband Deployment Act requires the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture to:

• Provide an assessment on programmatic or administrative barriers to reviewing federal broadband permitting
• Provide an assessment of whether there are rules or regulations that could be revised to improve the efficiency of reviewing communications use authorizations
• Describe the process for prioritizing the review of communications use authorizations
• Provide a plan to ensure adequate staffing to review communications use authorizations in a timely manner

Read the bill here.

Original source can be found here.