Rep McMorris Rodgers, Sen Wicker Call for Streamlined Permitting Process for BEAD Program

House Commerce Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent a letter to National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Alan Davidson urging NTIA to address burdensome permitting processes and other regulatory red tape that may impede the success of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program that was created under the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act. To prevent slow deployment and the determent of investment, the Members urged the agency to require eligible states and territories to work with their local governments on streamlining the permitting process to expedite and reduce barriers. They praised the BEAD’s Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) that requires states to identify steps to “reduce costs and barriers to deployment, promote the use of existing infrastructure, promote and adopt dig-once policies, streamlined permitting processes and cost-effective access to poles, conduits, easements, and rights of way.”  However, the Members called on the NTIA not only to identify and encourage streamlined permitting, but also to require states to enact these streamlined policies and set a high bar for when streamlining is not appropriate.