The following article was published by StateScoop:
The efficacy of local government permitting processes will be critical to deploying broadband projects funded by the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program, according to a paper published Wednesday by the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society.
The report says that the $42.45 billion provided by the BEAD program will accelerate broadband network construction, but put the majority of responsibility on local governments to provide permits to internet service providers. The report claims those processes usually take time and resources that not every municipality can handle.
“Such extensive broadband construction will require extensive construction permitting, and construction permitting often happens at the local level. Thus, the historic effort to close the digital divide will ultimately flow through the permitting offices of our local governments,” Drew Garner, policy engagement director at the Benton Institute for Broadband and Society, said in a press release.
The report notes that each local government has a unique permitting process that outlines staff, timelines, inspections and requirements for adapt to the characteristics of their communities, including water tables, surface components and population densities. Internet service providers may also use varying construction processes, transmission technologies and project designs.
The full article is available here.