WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 3, 2025 – INCOMPAS, the Competitive Communications and AI Infrastructure Association, alongside Fiber Broadband Association, NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, USTelecom – The Broadband Association, and WTA – Advocates for Rural Broadband, submitted a joint letter to the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee expressing our strong support for the Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act and to urge the Committee to advance this important bipartisan legislation.
“For years, broadband deployment across the United States has been constrained by unpredictable, inconsistent, and unregulated processes for securing access to railroad rights-of-way. Despite billions of dollars in federal, state, and private investment to expand high-speed broadband—particularly for unserved and underserved communities—projects frequently stall when they intersect with railroad corridors.
The RAIL Act offers the balanced, thoughtful solution that has been missing. By establishing reasonable timelines, transparent, cost-based compensation standards, and a clear dispute resolution process, the legislation ensures that broadband providers can deploy necessary infrastructure efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of railroad safety and operational integrity. The bill strikes the right balance between enabling broadband deployment and ensuring that rail carriers retain appropriate oversight of work conducted near their infrastructure.
Importantly, the Act enhances—not diminishes—safety. Providers must still submit engineering plans, follow established industry standards, and coordinate closely with railroads. The legislation simply creates a predictable framework that prevents unnecessary delay and eliminates arbitrary or inflated cost structures that hinder deployment and undermine national broadband goals.
As Congress works to connect every American to high-quality, affordable broadband—and as communities pursue infrastructure upgrades essential to economic growth, education, health care, and public safety—the need for a consistent national framework for railroad crossings has never been more urgent.”
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