Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act

This bill, called the Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act, would let certain add‑ons to existing telecom structures skip federal environmental and historic‑preservation reviews. In plain terms, if a company wants to place or upgrade wireline equipment on an existing pole, tower, or similar structure, that project would not trigger federal NEPA or NHPA reviews when a federal authorization is involved. The bill defines “eligible support infrastructure” as structures that already support or house wireline communications at the time a complete permit request is filed with a State, local, or Tribal government.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Telecom providers placing or upgrading wireline equipment; nearby communities; State, local, and Tribal governments handling permit requests; and the FCC is referenced as “the Commission”.
• What changes: Covered “collocation” projects would not be treated as a major federal action under NEPA and not be treated as an undertaking under the National Historic Preservation Act, so those federal reviews would not apply.
• Where it applies: Across the United States, including the District of Columbia and all territories and possessions.