New Interior Policy to Fast-Track Tribal Broadband
- Skenandore Wilson LLP
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
09/10/2025
Washington, D.C. – On September 8, 2025, the Department of the Interior released a new policy designed to accelerate the approval process for tribal broadband infrastructure projects. The new policy is focused on streamlining the processing of right-of-way (ROW) applications to build broadband infrastructure. The policy sets specific timelines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to process ROW applications. The detailed policy is available here.
BIA is hosting a series of two-hour webinars on this new policy. The schedule and registration links are below:
Session 1 – Friday, September 12, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Click here to register.
Session 2 – Monday, September 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Click here to register.
Session 3 – Thursday, September 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Click here to register.
Under Interior’s new policy the initial review will start within three business days of receiving a ROW application and BIA must enter it into its system. Within seven business days, the application must be reviewed for completeness, and the applicant must be notified if any documents are missing. Once a complete application is received, BIA has 60 days to either grant or deny the ROW, return it for revisions, or inform the applicant that more time is needed. After approval, the grant document and other relevant project information must be submitted to the Land Title and Records Office (LTRO) for official recording within 30 days.
The new policy also contains guidance on waivers for certain regulatory requirements. For example, guidance is provide on: if a ROW is on Tribal lands that are 100 percent owned by a Tribe; ROWs that cross individual Indian owned allotted lands; ROWs that cross multiple tracts; maintenance of ROWs; new uses within or overlapping an existing ROW; and how to apply for a Secretarial waiver if the other exemptions do not apply.
Skenandore Wilson LLP is dedicated to the representation of Tribal Nations, Tribal entities, and individual Tribal members throughout Indian Country. Our mission is to support and advance the sovereignty, self-sufficiency, and self-governance of our Tribal clients. To learn more about how we can assist you, contact us at info@skenandorewilson.com or 608-608-1210.
