Wireless Infrastructure Association CEO Patrick Halley testifies at House broadband permitting hearing

Patrick Halley, President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), provided testimony before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology during a hearing focused on accelerating broadband permitting processes.

The session reviewed 29 legislative proposals aimed at refining procedures for wireless and broadband deployment. Halley highlighted priorities such as formalizing existing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) permitting directives, improving deployment on federally managed lands, and promoting consistency and transparency in permitting at all government levels.

Wireless operators and infrastructure partners invest several billion dollars annually to reduce coverage gaps and enhance network capacity, Halley noted. He discussed ongoing trends including increased mobile broadband speeds, reduced costs, expanded enterprise use of private wireless connectivity, and the growth of fixed wireless broadband that has connected approximately 13 million households with 5G fixed wireless service in rural locations.

The efforts before the Subcommittee seek to establish a permitting framework defined by predictability, proportionality, and transparency, building upon bipartisan federal legislation and FCC rules shaped over the past decade. Halley emphasized the need for regulatory certainty to support network construction and the use of commercial spectrum to sustain future technological advancements.

Halley said, “Wireless carriers and their infrastructure partners are investing billions annually to close coverage gaps and add network capacity.” He added, “Our future success is not guaranteed. It depends on the adoption of smart infrastructure policies that unleash the full power of commercial spectrum.” On permitting reform, Halley stated, “We need a permitting framework that is predictable, proportionate, and transparent… The good news is that we are not starting from scratch.”

During the hearing, Halley also addressed topics including the connection between permitting efficiency and affordability, the duration of projects to improve connectivity on federal lands, the importance of a spectrum pipeline to support next-generation wireless networks, and the role of wireless connectivity in delivering average broadband speeds between 150 and 200 Mbps. According to Halley, permitting reform facilitates faster investment deployment which can contribute to lower prices through competition.