Western South Dakota News

U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at expediting the federal review and processing of broadband permits to facilitate quicker deployment in unserved communities. The legislation seeks to cut bureaucratic delays, enhance transparency in the permitting process, and mandate that all federal agencies adhere to a 270-day deadline for processing broadband applications.

“To ensure rural communities across South Dakota have access to reliable broadband, it is critical that federal agencies are processing broadband permits in a timely fashion and that they are being held accountable for any delays,” said Thune. “For years I have fought for rural areas to have access to reliable broadband services, and I’m proud to introduce this legislation that would help accelerate the deployment of these services throughout our communities.”

Luján emphasized the need for streamlined processes: “More must be done to address the barriers that have long kept rural communities on the wrong side of the digital divide. For years, I have pushed the federal government to streamline and expedite permitting processes to improve rural broadband connectivity. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Senators Thune and Barrasso to help build out broadband infrastructure in New Mexico and across the country.”

Barrasso highlighted challenges specific to his state: “Nearly half of Wyoming is federal land. We must ensure efficient and timely internet access for communities in these areas. Many broadband providers have faced issues with the federal permitting process for applications on federal land. This results in higher costs for internet providers and delays in closing the digital divide across rural America. Our legislation will improve the application process and allow more projects to move forward and provide our rural communities with reliable internet services.”