Fedorchak bill to streamline broadband permitting advances Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
Washington, D.C. – The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Committee yesterday advanced Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak’s (R-ND) CABLE Expansion Act, which now heads to the full Committee for consideration. The bill expedites broadband deployment by streamlining the permitting process for cable operators while protecting the role of local governments.
“Across the country, cable providers—especially in rural communities—face costly and unpredictable permitting delays when trying to deploy or upgrade broadband infrastructure,” Fedorchak said. “My legislation creates a consistent process by streamlining applications, requiring timely written decisions from local franchise authorities, setting firm review timelines, and giving providers the certainty they need to invest in underserved areas."
Background on the CABLE Expansion Act:
Streamlines applications for cable operators that apply to a franchise authority to deploy or upgrade facilities.
Preserves local authority while requiring timely, written responses from franchise authorities.
Establishes clear timelines for decisions, with applications automatically granted if no response is issued in time.
Requires transparency in fees and specifies they be based only on actual, direct costs.
Requires any denial to be written, publicly released, and backed by clear evidence at the time of the decision.
Applies the new timelines and fee requirements retroactively to pending requests that have not yet been approved or denied.
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