ARLINGTON, Va. – The Wireless Infrastructure
Association (WIA) has submitted comments in support of the U.S. Forest
Service’s proposed rule implementing guidance from Congress in the 2018 Farm
Bill and the MOBILE NOW Act to expedite deployment of telecommunications
infrastructure on land managed by the Forest Service.
“These measures strive to meet the Farm Bill’s
guidelines encouraging expedited and harmonized applications throughout the
Forest Service’s covered lands. WIA worked with Congress to include these
streamlining provisions in the Farm Bill. The Forest Service aims to encourage
upgrades to existing telecommunications infrastructure by limiting onerous, and
often redundant, environmental impact assessments,” said WIA President and CEO
Jonathan Adelstein. “These proposed reforms will encourage wireless siting on
Forest Service lands, boosting the deployment of 5G networks, especially in
rural areas. It will also encourage network resiliency by allowing backup
generators to be deployed more easily.”
The proposed rule would provide updates to add
transparency and consistency to the federal application process. For example,
it would broaden categorical exclusions from environmental reviews, mandate
action on an application within 270 days, develop a tracking system for
applications that are under review, and increase the term for leases on Forest
Service lands to thirty years.
###
November 25, 2019
Contact: Amy-Gabrielle Bartolac | Public Affairs Manager
703-621-0527 | Amy-Gabrielle.Bartolac@wia.org
The post WIA Supports U.S. Forest Service’s Proposed Rule to Expedite 5G Deployment appeared first on WIA.