Feds finally digitize cell-tower permits on public land
H.R. 1665 — Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act · Filed by Kat Cammack (R-FL) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 27, 2025 · Passed chamber
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill requires the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture to create online portals within one year to accept, process, and issue Form 299s—the federal permits that allow telecommunications companies to place cell towers, fiber-optic cables, and other communications infrastructure on public lands and national forests. Currently, these applications are processed manually; the bill simply digitizes the process and requires the agencies to publicize the portals.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative function is to digitize the Form 299 permitting process for communications infrastructure on federal lands. It is a procedural efficiency measure, not a substantive policy change, subsidy, or deregulation.
What the text implies
- Faster permitting may accelerate broadband deployment to rural areas, but also to profitable urban markets—the bill does not prioritize underserved communities.
- Online portals reduce agency discretion in processing, which may limit environmental or cultural-resource review if not carefully implemented in the portal design.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
telecommunications companies; broadband infrastructure providers; wireless carriers