Local government associations reject industry claims on broadband permitting

Local governments and large industry trade groups are not aligned on the idea of wireline permitting reforms. That's not breaking news, but the differences of opinion were newly highlighted in a Federal Communications Commission docket, opened in 2025, soliciting comments and proposing questions about how the FCC can use its authority under section 253 of the Communications Act to preempt state and local laws that "have a prohibitive effect on wireline telecommunications deployments and services." Groups like USTelecom and ACA Connects filed comments urging the FCC to implement "reasonable" shot clocks, eliminate non-cost-based fees, and strengthen coordination across states, among other items. But in joint comments filed with the FCC, the United States Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors—collectively dubbed the Local Government Associations—objected to the reforms requested in industry filings, and to the notion that local permitting is problematic.