NTCA, Fiber Broadband Association Announce Launch of Broadband Infrastructure Playbook 3.0

Arlington, Va., (August 2, 2023)—NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association and the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) today released the first module from their new “Playbook 3.0,” the latest iteration of their joint “Broadband Infrastructure Playbook.” The first module is dedicated to permitting and will be followed by other modules that will address issues like cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, and broadband coverage challenge processes.

Since early 2022, NTCA and FBA have collaborated to help state broadband offices and interested stakeholders prepare for funding from the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program in ways that will have meaningful and lasting impacts. As states develop their plans for the distribution of BEAD funding, NTCA and FBA will release a series of Playbook 3.0 modules over the next few months providing deeper dives on key aspects of what states will need to tackle in their initial proposals.

The first module, “Permitting: Access to State and Local Rights-of-Way and Infrastructure,” provides recommendations to streamline the permitting process for broadband deployment so that the BEAD program can meet its ambitious goals to connect all Americans as soon as possible. They will be shared with state broadband offices and other stakeholders through direct outreach and webinars.

“Our hope is that this intense focus on individual aspects of the program will help state broadband offices in crafting their initial proposals and stakeholders in engaging with the offices as decisions are made,” said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield and Fiber Broadband Association President and CEO Gary Bolton in a blog announcing the initiative.

You can find the “Permitting: Access to State and Local Rights-of-Way and Infrastructure” module on NTCA’s Broadband Opportunity Hub and FBA’s Research and Resources page between July and October.

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NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association is the premier association representing more than 850 independent, community-based telecommunications companies that are leading innovative change in smart rural communities across America. In an era of transformative technological developments, regulatory challenges and marketplace competition, NTCA members are advancing efforts to close the digital divide by delivering robust and high-quality services over future-proof networks. Their commitment to building sustainable networks makes rural communities fertile ground for innovation in economic development, e-commerce, health care, agriculture and education, and it contributes billions of dollars to the U.S. economy each year. Visit us at www.ntca.org.

The Fiber Broadband Association is the largest and only trade association that represents the complete fiber ecosystem of service providers, manufacturers, industry experts, and deployment specialists dedicated to the advancement of fiber broadband deployment and the pursuit of a world where communications are limitless, advancing quality of life and digital equity anywhere and everywhere. The Fiber Broadband Association helps providers, communities, and policy makers make informed decisions about how, where, and why to build better fiber broadband networks. Since 2001, these companies, organizations, and members have worked with communities and consumers in mind to build the critical infrastructure that provides the economic and societal benefits that only fiber can deliver. The Fiber Broadband Association is part of the Fibre Council Global Alliance, which is a platform of six global FTTH Councils in North America, LATAM, Europe, MEA, APAC, and South Africa. Learn more at fiberbroadband.org.

NTCA Contact:  Alex Naughton, 703-351-2015, anaughton@ntca.org
FBA Contact: Ashley Schulte, ashley@connect2comm.com