"Cable lobby group NCTA called the hearing "important progress" toward "the removal of regulatory impediments that slow deployment to unserved areas." Another cable lobby group, America's Communications Association, said the permitting reform bills "will strip away red tape and enable broadband, cable, and telecommunications providers to redirect resources to upgrading and expanding their networks and services, especially in rural areas.""
"Much of the debate centered on a $42 billion federal program that was created in a November 2021 law to subsidize broadband construction in areas without modern access. The Trump administration threw out a Biden-era plan for distributing the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program funds, forcing state governments to rewrite their plans and cut costs, delaying the projects' start. Money still hasn't been distributed, though the Trump administration today said it approved the rewritten plans of 18 states and territories."
Representative Richard Hudson defended permitting reform bills as measures to add certainty, predictability, and accountability to the broadband permitting process and expedite deployment. Industry groups NCTA and America's Communications Association said the reforms would remove regulatory impediments, strip away red tape, and allow providers to redirect resources toward upgrading and expanding networks, particularly in rural areas. Debate focused on a $42 billion BEAD program created in November 2021 to subsidize construction in unserved areas, which experienced delays after a distribution plan was discarded and state plans had to be rewritten. The bills set deadlines of 60–150 days and address permit fees and certain reviews.
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