NCTA Lauds Senate Companion to Broadband and Telecommunications Rail Act
NCTA on Friday praised Senate Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chair Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Communications Subcommittee ranking member Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., for filing an upper chamber companion Thursday (see 2511200069) to the Broadband and Telecommunications Rail Act (HR-6046). The House Communications Subcommittee cleared HR-6046 Wednesday (see 2511180053).
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“As government and industry share a commitment to bring high-speed, reliable internet connectivity to every American, this legislation will help streamline and accelerate that work, especially in rural communities,” NCTA said. Blackburn's office also touted support from the Competitive Carriers Association, CTIA, the Fiber Broadband Association, Incompas, USTelecom and the Wireless Infrastructure Association.
The measure would require a broadband provider to apply to a railroad to place equipment in its right-of-way and set shot clocks for the railroad to decide whether to grant such a request and schedule the work. It would allow a railroad to deny a request only if the application fails to meet safety and damage mitigation requirements or would prohibit the railroad’s operations. The legislation would also require broadband providers to work with state and local governments to determine the scope of the project.
HR-6046 drew unanimous bipartisan support at the House Communications markup last week, in contrast to a sharp divide on a new version of the American Broadband Deployment Act (HR-2289) that combined language from 22 GOP-led connectivity permitting bills. The House Commerce Committee during the last Congress similarly divided along party lines on a previous version of the broadband deployment package, which never reached the floor amid strong Democratic resistance (see 2305230067).