Summary:

Multiple federal property-holding agencies must approve the placement of facilities on their lands and buildings, and often negotiate lease agreements with those seeking access. Form SF-299 Application for Transportation, Utility Systems, Telecommunications and Facilities on Federal Lands and Property (Special-Use Permit Application) provides a standardized form across all participating government agencies to request permitted access to federal lands to construct telecommunications infrastructure to connect rural Americans. As noted, the major land and property holding agencies include the Department of Agriculture (U.S. Forest Service); Department of Defense; General Services Administration (GSA); Department of Interior (Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), National Park Service (NPS), U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFW), and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)). The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) may also be involved in siting decisions through its utility accommodation policy within federal-aid rights-of-way.

See the program site for e-portals for each federal agency. This program allows occupancy, use, rights, or privileges of agency land.

Eligible Recipients:

Local Government; State Government; For-Profit Business; Non-Profit Organization

Eligible Recipients Detail:

Any organization planning the deployment of broadband infrastructure that seeks to use adjacent federal broadband assets to facilitate deployment.

Eligible Purpose:

Last Mile Infrastructure; Middle Mile Infrastructure; Backbone Infrastructure; Broadband Development Planning

Eligible Purpose Detail:

Form SF 299 provides telecommunications providers with a standardized form to utilize and construct telecommunications and broadband infrastructure on federal land. Permitted activities include rights-of-way access and siting equipment on lands and buildings.