President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing accountability in the environmental review of infrastructure projects, including broadband. The order creates a framework to ensure the permitting process is “coordinated, predictable, and transparent,” according to the text.
The inclusion of broadband in the executive order is “a step in the right direction for favorable broadband infrastructure policies” and consistent with USTelecom advocacy on this issue, according to USTelecom VP Law & Policy Kevin Rupy. When the President first announced his “America’s Infrastructure First” policy calling for $1 trillion in new investment to improve the nation’s infrastructure, USTelecom said broadband must be front and center in this important initiative, Inside Towers reported.
The order says the government will “make timely decisions with the goal of completing all federal environmental reviews and authorization decisions for major infrastructure projects within two years,” states Rupy in a blog. Within 180 days, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must establish a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal on “Infrastructure Permitting Modernization” so that federal environmental reviews are timely and predictable. OMB must also issue guidance on how to achieve that CAP goal.
August 22, 2017
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