NERA-无线许可改革将节省数十亿沙速部署（英）-2026.1.pdfVIP

QuantifyingtheOpportunity

ofReformingtheFederal

Communications

Commission’sNational

EnvironmentalPolicyActand

NationalHistorical

PreservationActRules

PreparedforCTIA

January2026

ProjectTeam

ChristianM.Dippon,PhD

ClaireHuther,MA

ExecutiveSummary

TheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)requiresfederalagenciestoconsiderthe

reasonablyforeseeableenvironmentalimpactsof“majorfederalactions.”TheFederal

CommunicationsCommission(FCC)incorporatedNEPAintoitsdecision-makingprocessby

establishingproceduresforreviewingsuchactions,whichcanincludethedeploymentand

modificationofcommunicationsinfrastructure,includingtowersandothermacrocelllocations,

andsmallcellsites.WithrecentstatutoryandotherchangesapplicabletoNEPA,theFCCis

consideringrevisingitspolicies.Inaddition,theCommissionistakingalookatitsimplementation

proceduresfortheNationalHistoricalPreservationAct(NHPA).Thisrelatedlegislationrequires

thattheFCCandotherfederalagenciesconsidertheeffectsoffederal“undertakings”onhistoric

properties.However,therearenorecentdataonthecoststhatwirelessprovidersfacewhen

complyingwithNEPAandNHPA.TheobjectiveofthisstudyistofillthisgapandhelptheFCCto

makeinformedpolicydecisionsthatsimplifyandacceleratethepermittingoftowers,smallcells,

andotherwirelessfacilities,asenvisionedinitsAugust14,2025,NoticeofProposedRulemaking

(NPRM).

Thestudyprincipallyusesdataandinformationobtainedthroughsurveysandworkingsessions

withmajormobilewirelessproviders.ItfindsthatunderthelegacyregulatoryNEPAandNHPA

frameworks,mobilewirelessproviderswouldspendover$2.2billiononregulatorycompliancein

thenextdecadealone.Additionally,c