Taxpayer Watchdog Applauds FCC’s Broadband Permitting Reforms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mazie Goodlett (803) 369-2181

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) commended plans by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to vote Wednesday on an order that would speed up broadband infrastructure projects by cutting red tape.

The plan would modernize the FCC’s approach to regulations under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) of 1970. The actions follow President Trump’s efforts to expedite and simplify permitting processes that thwart much-needed projects and deter broadband infrastructure investment.

The FCC order would better clarify which Commission actions fall under the statutory definition of a major federal action (MFA), a prerequisite for triggering federal agencies’ NEPA obligations. The FCC said these rules would eliminate evaluations under the Commission’s current NEPA checklist for more than 14,800 wireless deployments. The order would find that deployments of facilities in connection with geographic area spectrum licenses, site-based spectrum licenses, unlicensed or licensed-by-rule wireless services, and satellite earth stations do not qualify as MFAs to the extent the deployments do not require antenna structure registration. Also, any space-based operations would not count as MFAs under the order.

TPA President David Williams issued the following statement:

“Consumers and taxpayers applaud the FCC and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr for scheduling this vote. Outdated and duplicative environmental rules merit re-examination as providers look to close the digital divide. TPA applauds the FCC for creating a commonsense plan that still offers environmental protections while clarifying that minor actions need not trigger more rigorous review and slow down infrastructure progress. It is time for a new approach that increases digital access and balances economy and ecology.”

###

The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis, and dissemination of information on the government’s impact on the economy.