- Fiber network industry and markets
- Communications service providers
- Fiber deployment
How NTIA’s new permitting tool could help BEAD awardees
When the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released its BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice in June 2025, most attention focused on changes to funding priorities and fiber-first policies. But buried deeper in the guidance is something with real operational weight: a new federal requirement for environmental permitting coordination.
As of now, every BEAD awardee must use the NTIA’s Environmental Screening and Permitting Tracking Tool (ESAPTT) for any project requiring review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).1 According to NTIA, this move will “significantly reduce the time and effort required for broadband permitting.”2 That could mean cutting 3–6 months off approval timelines—if awardees have their network data ready.