An executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month will reduce the bureaucratic red tape private companies encounter while building out infrastructure to deploy broadband services on federal lands. The order directs the General Services Administration to develop a common form and master contract for wireless facility locations on other property owned by the federal government within 180 days. Additionally, all federal property managing agencies must provide a quarterly report to the GSA on the number of applications, approvals and rejections based on the newly developed common form application.

The order does not provide any funding for the deployment of broadband to rural areas but expedites the approval process for companies that want to deploy broadband infrastructure in rural areas near or on federal lands.