The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society released a report to help local governments handle broadband permitting when the expected surge of deployments funding by BEAD is expected to begin…
This paper is intended to help local governments and Internet Service Providers (ISP) navigate this challenge and develop permitting processes that will maximize the impact of BEAD and all future broadband investments. The paper’s findings were identified during a national summit on local permitting processes, which was attended by representatives from local, state, and federal governments, ISPs, civil society organizations, philanthropies, and other key stakeholders.4 By developing effective and efficient permitting processes, ISPs and local governments can help ensure that every community in America receives the full benefits of modern connectivity.
Rather than try to summarize or select excerpts, I thought I’d share the Table of Contents…
- FINDING 1: Foster Partnership Between the Permit Seeker and the Permitting Authority
- Meet Early and Often
- Understand the Responsibilities and the Realities of Local Government
- Understand the Proposed Deployment
- Establish Trust and Accountability
- FINDING 2: Maximize Resources Available to the Permitting Authority
- Establish Models for Providing Support to Permitting Authorities
- Limit Excessive Demand on Permitting Resources
- Articulate the “Return on Investment” of Permitting
- FINDING 3: Ensure Transparency and Consistency in the Permitting Processes
- Modernize Application Processes
- Reduce Unnecessary Duplication
- CONCLUSION
- Checklist for ISPs
- Checklist for Local Governments
- Checklist for State and Federal Agencies
- CASE STUDIES
- Case Study 1: Ting’s Master Agreement
- Case Study 2: Mesa’s Consultant Reimbursement Agreement
- Case Study 3: Funding Opportunities Within BEAD
- Case Study 4: Permitting in Leawood, Kansas