President Signs Executive Order on Broadband Infrastructure

President Obama has signed an Executive Order regarding accelerating broadband infrastructure deployment. According to the Order – broadband access is essential to the nation’s global competitiveness, driving job creation, promoting innovation and expanding markets for American businesses. The President believes too many areas lack adequate access to broadband. For those areas – his Executive Order states that decisions on access to Federal property and rights of way can be essential to the deployment of wired and wireless broadband infrastructure. To ensure a coordinated and consistent approach to advancing broadband deployment – President Obama is establishing a Broadband Deployment on Federal Property Working Group that is to report to the Steering Committee on Federal Infrastructure Permitting and Review Process Improvement within one year. The Working Group will include a representative from USDA.