WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch (both R-ID), and Patty Murray (D-WA), joined other senators in a letter to the Secretaries of the U.S. Departments of Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce about the need to expand high-speed internet access in rural communities. They say it is “crucial” that the digital divide is closed by expanding access to high-speed internet in rural areas – and that can’t be accomplished without improving the permitting process.
From Senator Crapo’s Office:
Internet providers are required to obtain permits from the federal government when installing telecommunications infrastructure on federal lands or for projects using federal funding. Currently, they face extensive delays in the permitting process. In their letter, the Senators encourage the Biden Administration to streamline the permitting process, close the digital divide and expand high-speed internet in rural areas across the country.
“According to the most recent Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Broadband Deployment report, approximately 14.5 million Americans in rural areas lack access to basic broadband service,” the Senators wrote. “Many of our communities rely on rights of way and service corridors through federal lands for transportation and essential utilities.”
“It is crucial we close the digital divide by expanding access to high-speed internet—a top priority for our rural areas—and we cannot accomplish that without improving the permitting process,” the Senators continued. “We urge you to build upon recent actions taken by Congress and various federal agencies to streamline permitting on federal land.”
Additional signatories of the letter include U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Mike Braun (R-Indiana), Jacky Rosen (R-Nevada), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Catherine Cortez-Masto (R-Nevada), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota).
