On March 26th, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) addressed critical actions at its Open Meeting to preempt state regulations hindering network modernization, and it’s clear that boosting broadband deployment requires intuitive permitting policy.
Broadband networks don’t build—or modernize—themselves. They require sustained private investment, steady planning, and the ability to deploy infrastructure on real-world timelines. That’s why permitting policy is so important. When the rules are predictable and the process is efficient, projects move and investment follows. When permitting is slow, inconsistent, or overly burdensome, communities wait longer for better service.
The current FCC’s infrastructure and permitting policies have helped create a more investment-friendly environment for broadband and wireless deployment. The goal isn’t complicated: reduce unnecessary delays, provide clarity, and keep the focus on getting modern networks in the ground and on the air.
Investment Responds to Certainty
One example is AT&T’s recent announcement of a major broadband investment commitment, more than $250 billion over five years, to expand and strengthen U.S. fiber and wireless connectivity. Crucially, AT&T pointed to today’s federal telecommunications policy environment as part of what makes that kind of long-term commitment possible.
This is exactly the kind of investment response we want to see. A regulatory approach that encourages builders to invest, compete, and upgrade networks ensures that consumers, small businesses, and communities will benefit from faster, more reliable connectivity.
Why FCC Permitting Policy Is So Consequential
Permitting can seem technical, but its impacts are straightforward. For broadband buildouts and upgrades:
- Time is money. Delays function like a hidden tax on deployment. Every month a project sits in a queue can mean higher costs and missed build windows.
- Uniformity reduces friction. A patchwork of conflicting requirements across jurisdictions adds complexity and uncertainty—especially for projects that span regions.
- Modernization should be easier than starting from scratch. Upgrading existing infrastructure is often the fastest route to more capacity, better coverage, and stronger resilience—if policies allow it.
The FCC’s recent approach has increasingly reflected these realities. By clarifying rules and supporting more predictable processes, the Commission helps providers plan confidently and move projects forward.
Removing Barriers to Modernization
At their Open Meeting, the U.S. Chamber supported the FCC taking action to preempt state regulations that make it harder to modernize networks, particularly when those rules effectively block upgrades or impose burdens that slow needed improvements.
The Chamber argued for such action in comments submitted to the Commission last year.
A national communications system can’t be modernized at the pace America needs if it’s governed by a maze of conflicting rules. When states layer on restrictions that function as barriers to those upgrades, the result is slower deployment and less investment certainty. Swapping equipment, expanding fiber capacity, densifying wireless networks, and improving resilience is constant work, but network modernization shouldn’t be optional.
Durable Reform: Congress Should Make Progress Permanent
FCC action is important, but it isn’t the whole answer. The United States also needs durable permitting reform—especially across federal agencies—so broadband projects can move through review processes with transparency and accountability.
That’s why the Chamber supports targeted House legislation designed to improve tracking, digitize application processes, and create more predictable timelines and costs:
- H.R. 1343, Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
- H.R. 1588, Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act
- H.R. 1665, DIGITAL Applications Act
- H.R. 1681, Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Act
- H.R. 1731, Standard FEES Act
- H.R. 2289, American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025
Simply put, you can’t deploy 21st-century networks using outdated processes. Better tracking, digitization, and predictable timelines are practical improvements that help get broadband to communities sooner.
The bottom line
The FCC’s permitting posture has helped create an environment where providers can invest and modernize networks faster, and investment commitments like those made by AT&T’s underscore what clarity and predictability can unlock.
The Chamber will keep advocating for permitting policies that are modern, efficient, and pro-investment, because American competitiveness depends on world-class connectivity.
Read More About Permitting Reform:
About the author
Jordan Crenshaw
Crenshaw is Senior Vice President of the Chamber Technology Engagement Center (C_TEC).
