USTelecom Presses FCC to Rein in Permitting Costs, Timelines

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2025 – USTelecom is pushing the Federal Communications Commission to impose national timelines for broadband permitting.

In response to the FCC’s wireline permitting inquiry, USTelecom has called for the FCC to impose national shot clocks of 60 days for standard broadband projects and up to 90 days for complex or multi-jurisdictional builds.

“The horror stories are enormous,” USTelecom’s CEO Jonathan Spalter told attendees at the Media Institute’s Communications Forum luncheon Wednesday, recalling a member in Utah who waited 18 months for approval to connect a single remote community. “We need more green lights and less red tape.”