Counties are partners, not barriers to broadband. It’s time to tell Congress the same

Recently proposed legislation in the House of Representatives has sought to up-end the role of local governments in the siting decisions process of both wireless and wireline broadband infrastructure. The legislation, The American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 (H.R. 3557), would enact a series of preemptions that would severely limit the ability of counties to engage in the permitting process, perform land use and zoning reviews and offer sensible feedback for internet service providers on how to deploy their infrastructure in a manner that will protect the public’s interest from a public safety perspective. The National Association of Counties (NACo) Telecommunications & Technology Policy Steering Committee has long-adopted language in the NACo American County Platform that supports the preservation of local decision-making authority in the siting decisions of both wireless and wireline telecommunications infrastructure. As such, we encourage members to vote NO on H.R. 3557, and to remind Congress of the numerous ways in which counties have played a role as facilitators for broadband access and services in their communities.