[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2018)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 1511-1512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-00628]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2018 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 1511]]

                Memorandum of January 8, 2018

                
 Supporting Broadband Tower Facilities in Rural 
                America on Federal Properties Managed by the Department 
                of the Interior

                Memorandum for the Secretary of the Interior

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the executive 
                branch to use all viable tools to accelerate the 
                deployment and adoption of affordable, reliable, modern 
                high-speed broadband connectivity in rural America, 
                including rural homes, farms, small businesses, 
                manufacturing and production sites, tribal communities, 
                transportation systems, and healthcare and education 
                facilities. Lowering the costs of broadband deployment 
                to rural areas can strengthen the business case for 
                broadband facilities deployment and therefore amplify 
                investments in broadband infrastructure. To that end, 
                the executive branch will seek to make Federal assets 
                more available for rural broadband deployment, with due 
                consideration of national security concerns.

                Sec. 2. Supporting Broadband Deployment. (a) The 
                Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) shall develop a 
                plan to support rural broadband development and 
                adoption by increasing access to tower facilities and 
                other infrastructure assets managed by the Department 
                of the Interior (DOI), consistent with applicable law 
                and to the extent practicable. DOI shall draft model 
                terms and conditions for use in securing tower 
                facilities and other infrastructure assets for 
                broadband deployment.

                    (b) Within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, 
                the Secretary shall report to the Director of the 
                Office of Science and Technology Policy recording DOI's 
                progress in identifying the assets that can be used to 
                support rural broadband deployment and adoption.

                Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this 
                memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise 
                affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent 
                with applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 1512]]

                    (c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does 
                not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
                agents, or any other person.
                <GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, January 8, 2018

[FR Doc. 2018-00628
Filed 1-11-18; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F8-P