Columbus Standard

Washington D.C. – This week, Congressman Greg Pence introduced the Streamlining Permitting to Enable Efficient Deployment for Broadband Infrastructure (SPEED) Act of 2023 to reduce excessive government regulation on rural broadband development. 

“Rural areas, like many of the ones I represent, rely on efficient and effective broadband for a multitude of reasons, including telehealth care and Internet access at home and at work. It is crucial that the federal government supports America’s rural communities and economies by improving and modernizing broadband in these areas,” said Congressman Pence. “The SPEED Act will cut federal red tape and streamline the permitting process for broadband infrastructure so that residents in rural areas have more modern, accessible broadband.”

Click here to read the SPEED Act.

Background:

The SPEED Act would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to:

1. Exempt broadband facilities from federal environmental and historic preservation reviews that have already granted approval for another communications facility on the same property.
2. Exempt broadband facilities that meet certain parameters from federal environmental and historic preservation reviews in existing right-of-way.
3. Exempt expansion of broadband facilities from federal environmental and historic preservation reviews if the expansion of the broadband facility is no more than 30 feet in any direction.

The SPEED Act is part of the House Energy and Commerce Republicans’ comprehensive broadband connectivity package of 28 bills, which all aim to streamline the deployment of broadband infrastructure and close the digital divide in both rural and urban areas.

Original source can be found here.