Broadband USA
Department of Commerce Joins Government-Wide Initiative to Facilitate Broadband Deployment
Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross joined with other Federal agencies to announce a cohesive, across-government, strategy to promote broadband deployment. A report released by the White House outlines the American Broadband Initiative (ABI), an effort that includes streamlining the Federal permitting process.
The ABI, announced during a Commerce Department meeting with state broadband leaders, coincides with the Department’s work to update the national broadband map and make it easier to identify which parts of the country lack connectivity.
As part of the ABI’s vision for how the Federal government can increase broadband access:
The Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will create a one-stop shop for broadband permitting information on its BroadbandUSA website.
On January 8, 2018, and in association with the release of Executive Order (EO) 13821, Streamlining and Expediting Requests To Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America, a Presidential Memorandum was issued to the Secretary of the Interior entitled, Supporting Broadband Tower Facilities in Rural America on Federal Properties Managed by the Department of the Interior.
In order to meet the goal of “identifying assets that can be used to support rural broadband deployment and adoption”, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has published a web-based mapping application that allows users to see locations of existing Federal broadband infrastructure, filter data, and add layers for analysis.
This streamlines the broadband permitting process by enabling customers to identify land management agencies and designations early, make informed choices, and ultimately improve the permitting process.
Visit these links to see what else the Department of Interior agencies are doing to deploy Broadband in rural America:
Bureau of Land Management | Fish and Wildlife Service | National Park Service | https://www2.ntia.doc.gov/
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