Adelstein: More Progress Needed to Site Wireless Facilities on Federal Property

Reprinted with permission of TRDaily

PCIA President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan Adelstein said today that while progress has been made to facilitate the deployment of wireless infrastructure on federal government lands and in federal buildings, more is necessary.

“I spent 25 years in the Federal government, and I am proud to represent an industry now that wants to expand broadband everywhere. So I get that you are the good actors who are trying to help,” Mr. Adelstein said in the text of a speech he delivered this morning at a broadband deployment on federal properties workshop held in conjunction with the HetNet Expo in Chicago. “Yet we haven’t made as much progress as many had hoped. Today, we’re trying to change that. This unprecedented effort is intended to jumpstart the process to meet the goals of the President and of Congress.”

Mr. Adelstein noted that 30% of the U.S.’s land mass is owned or controlled by the federal government, and he added that “these are some of the hardest lands to site wireless infrastructure. 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. It is that simple. That means revenues that could flow to the Federal government – which is suffering from large deficits – will instead flow to private or state landholders next door. We’re here today to change that equation.

“In terms of Federal buildings, many are in more urbanized locations that are highly sought after by wireless carriers,” Mr. Adelstein noted. “By facilitating access, the Federal government can increase revenues and improve broadband for its citizens. The government might as well join the gold rush for these revenues as we densify the network. It seems like a no-brainer.”

Mr. Adelstein noted that the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 mandated “standard applications and agreements” to make it easier to site communications facilities on federal lands and properties, while also streamlining the approval of antenna collocations. He also cited President Obama’s 2012 executive order aimed at accelerating the deployment of broadband infrastructure on federal lands.

“There have been good developments since then. The working groups have been meeting and both public and private groups. They’re learning more about the cultural and institutional challenges to meeting the broadband mandate,” Mr. Adelstein said. “The Department of the Navy and the US Air Force put forward public memorandums that outlined the importance of siting broadband facilities on their properties. They began to provide the structure necessary to ensure that projects could move from concept to contract, to operation. We all know there’s more work to do.”- Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com

TRDaily – October 16, 2014

The full text of Adelstein’s remarks is below.

Jonathan Adelstein’s Opening Remarks – Federal Lands Workshop

HetNet Expo 2014, Chicago
October 16, 2014

Good morning! Thanks for joining us for this critical workshop. I especially thank our friends from the Federal government for making the special effort to get here. It is a real demonstration of your commitment to expand broadband access on Federal lands. You are the leaders who are trying to make a difference, so please forgive us if you hear us vent a bit about all of the problems we have had.

The President has acted to expedite broadband on Federal lands. Congress has acted by enacting legislation. We’ve seen some progress as a result, and we deeply appreciate the bipartisan leadership and commitment to move the ball forward. Leaders at the highest levels have sent a strong message that this is a national priority. And agency leaders such as yourselves have made important strides.

I spent 25 years in the Federal government, and I am proud to represent an industry now that wants to expand broadband everywhere. So I get that you are the good actors who are trying to help.

Yet we haven’t made as much progress as many had hoped. Today, we’re trying to change that. This unprecedented effort is intended to jumpstart the process to meet the goals of the President and of Congress.

We are bringing together the key leaders from the public and private sectors to discuss ways to meet the mandate of expanding broadband on Federal lands and properties.

There’s another clear reason this issue has received a push from our elected officials: it serves the needs of the American people.

They’re coming to rely increasingly on broadband for their daily lives: for public safety, for education, for health care and so much more.

More than 30% of America’s landmass is owned, or controlled, by the Federal government. As we will hear, these are some of the hardest lands to site wireless infrastructure. 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. It is that simple. That means revenues that could flow to the Federal government – which is suffering from large deficits – will instead flow to private or state landholders next door. We’re here today to change that equation.

In terms of Federal buildings, many are in more urbanized locations that are highly sought after by wireless carriers.

By facilitating access, the Federal government can increase revenues and improve broadband for its citizens. The government might as well join the gold rush for these revenues as we densify the network. It seems like a no-brainer.

The deployment of these facilities will support American citizens in a number of key ways.

It will help the Department of Defense in its mission at home by connecting military families on our nation’s bases just as they would expect off-base so that they can remain connected to their loved ones.

It’ll give America’s warfighters access to training opportunities on the most advanced technologies.

It’ll support public safety in its effort to establish a nationwide interoperable public safety network — a network long overdue since the tragedy we suffered on 9/11 — over 13 years ago. Our executive agencies throughout the federal government like the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, and the National Park Service need broadband to more efficiently meet their missions and protect their personnel.

Those missions include fighting forest fires and educating Americans about our national treasures through mobile video and interactive mobile content.

As I mentioned, in 2012 Congress recognized the importance of this when it passed the landmark Middle Class Tax Relief Act. That law put forward a framework for the application and siting of communications facilities on federal lands and properties through standard applications and agreements.

It also created the framework for the development of an interoperable public safety network, FirstNet, which we will hear about in a minute.

The law also streamlined siting of broadband facilities through collocation-by-right.

In the same vein, President Obama put forward Executive Order 13616 which outlined the policy reasons for action and created a cross-agency working group charged with meeting the mandate of deployment on Federal lands and properties.

All of these actions have one theme in common: expanding broadband is a national imperative and the Federal government is charged with actively working to overcome resistance on Federal lands and beyond.

There have been good developments since then. The working groups have been meeting and both public and private groups. They’re learning more about the cultural and institutional challenges to meeting the broadband mandate.

The Department of the Navy and the US Air Force put forward public memorandums that outlined the importance of siting broadband facilities on their properties. They began to provide the structure necessary to ensure that projects could move from concept to contract, to operation.

We all know there’s more work to do. That is why we are so thrilled to host you in Chicago today, and that you agreed to join us. Your participation signals that you get it.

You recognize the national priority the President and Congress have placed on this. And you’re here to move the ball forward.

We have a lot to cover today.

We’ll learn about the various rules and regulations that govern the siting of facilities.

We’ll learn about the application processes at various agencies and how the process looks through the lenses of both the government and private companies.

We’ll learn how to maintain those leases and ensure industry is being a good steward the land they are entrusted with.

And we’ll learn how federal agencies are working to address the lease renewal process.

We’ll also learn specifically about how the Department of the Navy is utilizing the operational memorandum I referred to earlier.

Thanks you for allowing PCIA to host this critical conversation. We stand prepared to help any way we can.

To kick things off, we are honored to have with us Ed Parkinson. He represents an agency that really needs this effort to succeed. FirstNet is charged with deploying a nationwide interoperable public safety network. Complete coverage, indoors and out, is part of the design.

No doubt, Federal Lands and Properties is some of the most limited existing inventory for shared infrastructure.

Ed is FirstNet’s Director of Government Affairs. He’s responsible for intergovernmental relations with local, state and federal organizations.

He previously served for five years as a Professional Staff Member for the House Homeland Security Committee, then chaired by Rep. Peter T. King of New York. While there, his primary responsibility was in the field of first responder telecommunications. He also worked on issues including border security, emergency preparedness, cybersecurity and investigations into waste, fraud and abuse of government resources.

Ed has tirelessly criss-crossed the country to promote the interests of first responders in FirstNet. I’ve seen him in action all across the country, and we are lucky to have this dedicated public servant with us today.

Please join me in welcoming Ed Parkinson.