Rep Fletcher Introduces the Broadband Incentives for Communities Act

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) introduced the Broadband Incentives for Communities Act (H.R.5058) to help communities across the country upgrade and expand their broadband infrastructure. Over the past decade, Congress has invested $12 billion for communities to deploy broadband, and as Congress moves to pass an infrastructure package with additional broadband investment, local governments will need support navigating the expected increase in permitting applications for these projects. This legislation would create a grant program to provide local and state governments with the resources and flexibility necessary to navigate the process successfully. The grant program, under the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA), would give communities new resources to train and hire employees in the permitting departments, hire additional human resources, and purchase updated technology and equipment that would facilitate the permitting process. The legislation also requires the NTIA to convene stakeholders to discuss and find solutions to the challenges of efficiently deploying broadband in their local communities, ensuring that providers can build the networks that are critical to meet the rapidly increasing broadband needs of all communities.