Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act
Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to streamline the deployment of telecommunications or broadband service facilities in the public rights-of-way and the … Show full official titleShow less
Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to streamline the deployment of telecommunications or broadband service facilities in the public rights-of-way and the rights-of-way of railroad carriers, and for other purposes.
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Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 51 - 0.
Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act
This bill establishes a framework for the placement or modification of broadband or telecommunications equipment in a railroad corridor.
Specifically, if a broadband or telecommunications provider is seeking to place or modify equipment within a railroad carrier’s right-of-way, the provider must submit an application to the carrier. A carrier must approve or deny an application within 60 days of receipt, and may only deny an application for safety reasons or if the placement or modification would substantially interfere with or damage railroad infrastructure. Once an application is approved, work must be scheduled in coordination with the carrier and generally must begin within 30 days. A provider must pay the railroad carrier for actual costs incurred with respect to the application.
However, if a provider has been authorized by a state or local government to place or modify equipment in a public right-of-way in an area that intersects with a railroad corridor, the provider need only notify the relevant railroad carrier and schedule the work in coordination with the carrier. Work must generally begin between 15 and 30 days after the notification is submitted. No fee is required.
A provider or carrier may petition the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for relief if the other has failed to comply with these provisions.
The FCC must promulgate regulations to implement these provisions in a manner that ensures railroad safety, provides a timelier process for emergency situations, and prevents substantial interference with railroad infrastructure or operations, among other requirements.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
- VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. AND VARIOUS SUBSIDIARIES
- AT&T SERVICES, INC. AND ITS AFFILIATES
- NCTA - THE INTERNET & TELEVISION ASSOCIATION
- CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
- COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION
- THE SMITH-FREE GROUP, LLC
Bodies those filers lobbied
- HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- SENATE
- White House Office
- Commerce, Dept of (DOC)
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Natl Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)
- Natl Economic Council (NEC)
- Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6046: Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6046/
"H.R. 6046: Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6046/.
H.R. 6046, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6046/.
[H.R. 6046: Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-6046/)