PCIA president seeks improved access to federal lands for companies that build wireless infrastructure

to “jumpstart” the process, in prepared remarks. More than 30 percent of America’s landmass is owned, or controlled, by the federal government, he said. “These are some of the hardest lands to site wireless infrastructure,” he said. “Yet they are also some of the most remote, where broadband is especially critical for public safety and economic development. If our industry confronts heavy obstacles to deployment in areas where the business case is already most difficult, the result is that investment goes elsewhere.” The federal government wins if rules for facility deployment are relaxed, he said. More broadband means military families on remote bases have the same Internet access “they would expect off-base so that they can remain connected to their loved ones,” he said. War fighters gain access “to training opportunities on the most advanced technologies,” he said. Public safety agencies also need better access to broadband, he said: “Our executive agencies throughout the federal government, like the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, need broadband to more efficiently meet their missions and protect their personnel.”