Skip to main content

House Passes LaMalfa’s Broadband Infrastructure Farm Bill Amendment

May 17, 2018
(Washington, DC) – Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) issued the following statement after the House unanimously agreed to an amendment to H.R. 2, otherwise known as the Farm Bill, offered by Congressman LaMalfa. The amendment aims to streamline and expedite the regulatory framework necessary to utilize federal lands for broadband infrastructure deployment and improve broadband coverage in Rural America. Final passage of H.R. 2 is scheduled for a floor vote on Friday.
LaMalfa said: "Broadband coverage in rural areas has been a challenge for quite some time. As providers build newer infrastructure to support 5G services, it will require more antennas spaced more closely together. While wireless providers generally locate antennas and facilities on private property, they also require access to Federal land to ensure more complete coverage, including for providing emergency services. Unfortunately, the process for securing access to federal land and property has been problematic – providers have faced long delays and uncertain procedures. My bipartisan amendment aims to streamline this process and help bring better broadband coverage to Rural America, and I thank my colleagues for the unanimous support."
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) said: "Many families in the West still lack basic broadband. Streamlining the bureaucratic process that is hampering broadband infrastructure development will create jobs, improve education and grow our economy. I applaud Rep. LaMalfa for his leadership and tireless efforts to close the broadband availability gap."
Kelly Cole, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at CTIA, said: "We support Congressman LaMalfa's amendment to the House Farm Bill. Modernizing outdated deployment rules for federal lands will help spur the build out of faster 5G wireless networks to meet rising connectivity demands from consumers and business, particularly in rural communities."
In a letter of support, Jonathan Adelstein, President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association, called the amendment: "an important step toward streamlining and expediting wireless broadband siting on federal property controlled by the Forest Service" He continued, "For decades, infrastructure developers have found it extremely difficult to use these lands to deploy wireless broadband facilities, which has an especially negative impact in or near rural communities. Your amendment will provide a streamlined and expedited regulatory framework that is necessary to utilize federal lands for broadband infrastructure deployment and improve wireless broadband service in Rural America."
Specifically, Congressman LaMalfa's amendment would require the Secretary of Agriculture, within one year of enactment, to issue regulations that would:
  • Streamline the siting process for Forest Service land.
  • Ensure that the process is uniform across all organizational units of the Forest Service.
  • And require that applications are treated on a competitively neutral basis.
Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California's First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.
###