The FCC review builds on an earlier decision to end consideration of a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed additional environmental reviews on tower builds
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened a rulemaking to modernize its environmental regulations, a move officials say will accelerate broadband expansion and other infrastructure projects by cutting permitting delays.
The initiative, part of the agency’s Build America Agenda, launches a comprehensive review of FCC rules under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to bring them in line with recent statutory changes. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), adopted last Thursday, will also seek input on updates to the Commission’s National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) rules and other environmental procedures.
“We’re going after one of the biggest obstacles to building in America: the sclerotic regulatory regime that has been grafted onto the National Environmental Policy Act,” said FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. “If a major infrastructure project requires an environmental impact statement under NEPA, completing that study has historically taken 4.5 years. That’s longer than it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Carr said the review builds on his earlier decision to end consideration of a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed additional environmental reviews on tower builds. “Our goal is to expedite and simplify permitting processes and clear the way for new infrastructure builds,” he said.
The Commission emphasized that the proceeding is intended to ensure its regulations are efficient, clear, and aligned with the law, while supporting broader economic development, infrastructure investment, and job creation.
As outlined in a July statement, Carr is also targeting licensing inefficiencies across other communications sectors, notably:
Subsea cables: Highlighting their importance — carrying nearly 99% of global internet traffic and supporting U.S. competitiveness in AI and technology — Carr announced plans to streamline cable licensing, shorten build timelines and implement security provisions to guard against foreign threats, especially from China.
Satellite licensing: He aims to “remove low-risk approval hurdles and simplify licensing for space and earth stations,” enabling models like Ground‑Station‑as‑a‑Service to scale efficiently. “It has taken more time for satellite applications to move through the regulatory review process than it has for engineers to build and launch a spacecraft into orbit… That is unacceptable and we intend to fix it,” he said.
