As Congress approaches its lame-duck session, lawmakers have a chance to make meaningful progress on three priorities essential to America’s connected future: clearing the path to build broadband networks, strengthening their cyber defenses, and ensuring rural communities remain connected.
They may look like separate items on a to-do list, but they are not. Each asks whether Washington will give the people building and defending America’s communications networks the tools and certainty to get the job done.
First, permitting reform must include broadband connectivity.
Congress is closer than it has been in years to meaningful permitting legislation. Explicitly reaffirming that broadband is covered by these reforms matters to the thousands of Americans still waiting for fast, reliable fiber internet connectivity. Broadband providers need certainty that streamlined reviews and predictable timelines apply to the networks connecting our communities.
Our members’ networks connect rural hospitals to patients, small businesses to markets, and communities to opportunity. Yet too often the obstacle isn’t technology, financing or workers. It’s permission to build.
In Wyoming and Idaho, providers have faced federal-land permitting delays of up to two years, stalling projects that would bring better connectivity to rural communities. Another provider waited three years for permission simply to repair an existing fiber line. Three years. Not to carve a new route through wilderness. To repair infrastructure already in the ground.
The fixes are straightforward: avoid duplicative environmental and historic reviews in previously studied rights-of-way, establish a dedicated broadband permitting team at Interior, and set clear, enforceable deadlines. Congress should explicitly reaffirm broadband’s eligibility for the bipartisan package’s permitting reforms so providers can put those improvements to work.
The FCC also deserves due credit for pursuing state and local permitting reforms. In the meantime, Congress has an immediate opportunity to remove federal barriers, especially on federal lands. It shouldn’t let that opportunity pass.
Second, modernize and secure the networks we build.
America cannot lead in AI on yesterday’s communications infrastructure. Continued investment in modern networks and new technologies is essential to U.S. leadership, and to replacing legacy systems and reducing the technical debt that can leave vulnerabilities exposed. As AI makes it easier for adversaries to identify and exploit weaknesses, modernization is itself a critical part of our cyber defense.
Broadband providers are investing in stronger, more resilient networks while working hand in glove with government partners to identify and stop attacks. Modern technology and effective information sharing must reinforce each other.
That is why Congress should also reauthorize the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) for the long term. Its legal protections help providers and government exchange threat intelligence and respond before vulnerabilities become crises.
Washington wants America to lead in AI and stay ahead of foreign cyber threats. That requires both the investment to move beyond legacy technology and the durable public-private partnerships that help defend our networks.
Third, provide certainty for rural connectivity.
Recent litigation concerning the FCC’s authority to establish the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) underscores the need for a durable, sustainable, and modern universal service system.
Congress should bring clarity and certainty to the administration of the Universal Service Fund (USF) as it looks to modernize these critical programs to meet America’s evolving connectivity needs.
Three priorities. One connected future.
America’s broadband providers invested $92.6 billion in private capital in our nation’s communications infrastructure last year. To make that investment go further, Washington must support faster deployment, modern and secure networks, and stable, up-to-date connectivity programs.
Congress has a practical lame-duck agenda: make explicit broadband’s place in permitting reform, advance network modernization and long-term CISA 2015 reauthorization, and ensure connectivity programs can serve Americans today and into the future.
The crews are ready. The technology is ready. Our industry is ready. Congress needs to finish the job.
Jonathan Spalter is President and CEO of USTelecom – The Broadband Association, representing technology innovators advancing broadband connectivity. Previously, he was founding chair of Mobile Future and has led technology companies and policy organizations across the U.S., Asia/Pacific, and Europe, including senior roles at Snocap, Atmedica Worldwide, and Vivendi Universal/VivendiNet. In government, he held national security posts at the White House and Pentagon and was U.S. Senate-confirmed as Associate Director of the U.S. Information Agency, serving as the agency’s CIO. He has also advised and served on boards for technology companies, financial institutions, and nonprofits.
Op-eds from industry experts, analysts or our editorial staff are opinion pieces that do not necessarily represent the opinions of Fierce Network.
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