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.