The following article was published by Benton:
The world may never know, but a new report offers some clues.
"Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband is essential to full participation in modern life in the United States. The persistent “digital divide'' in the United States is a barrier to the economic competitiveness of the United States and equitable distribution of essential public services, including health care and education." - Drew Garner
So begins Division F of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the law that launched the largest investment in broadband infrastructure in U.S. history. This law is making billions of dollars available to expand broadband networks throughout rural America—and with these networks, access to all the opportunities and advantages internet service allows.
Billions of dollars for broadband construction also means billions of dollars in construction projects seeking approval from local permitting offices. Reviewing these projects will be no small task, especially in rural areas where local governments have limited resources. What, then, should permitting offices and their applicants do to prepare for the upcoming wave of activity?
That was the question posed to nearly 30 of the nation’s leading permitting experts during a recent summit at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy. The experts represented a wide array of permitting stakeholders, including local governments, state broadband offices, federal agencies, civil society organizations, private landowners, and ISPs of various types and sizes. The goal of the summit was to put these experts in conversation with one another and identify areas of consensus and disagreement. The findings from their discussion are explored in a new report—Permitting Success: Closing the Digital Divide Through Local Broadband Permitting.
The full article is available here.