View all text of Chapter 14 [§ 1501 - § 1513]
§ 1504. Broadband infrastructure deployment
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Appropriate State agency
(2) Broadband infrastructure
(3) Broadband infrastructure entity
The term “broadband infrastructure entity” means any entity that—
(A) installs, owns, or operates broadband infrastructure; and
(B) provides broadband services in a manner consistent with the public interest, convenience, and necessity, as determined by the State.
(4) State
The term “State” means—
(A) a State;
(B) the District of Columbia; and
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(b) Broadband infrastructure deployment
To facilitate the installation of broadband infrastructure, the Secretary of Transportation shall promulgate regulations to ensure that each State that receives funds under chapter 1 of title 23 meets the following requirements:
(1) Broadband consultation
The State department of transportation, in consultation with appropriate State agencies, shall—
(A) identify a broadband utility coordinator, that may have additional responsibilities, whether in the State department of transportation or in another State agency, that is responsible for facilitating the broadband infrastructure right-of-way efforts within the State;
(B) establish a process for the registration of broadband infrastructure entities that seek to be included in those broadband infrastructure right-of-way facilitation efforts within the State;
(C) establish a process to electronically notify broadband infrastructure entities identified under subparagraph (B) of the State transportation improvement program on an annual basis and provide additional notifications as necessary to achieve the goals of this section; and
(D) coordinate initiatives carried out under this section with other statewide telecommunication and broadband plans and State and local transportation and land use plans, including strategies to minimize repeated excavations that involve the installation of broadband infrastructure in a right-of-way.
(2) Priority
(c) Effect of section
(Pub. L. 115–141, div. P, title VI, § 607, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1104.)