National Mall Telecommunications Infrastructure Plan

National Park Service seeks public comment on future of telecommunications on the National Mall

The National Park Service is accepting public comment on a study that outlines a plan for the future construction and operation of telecommunications infrastructure - such as rooftop antennas, mobile antenna sites, small-cell installations, and fiber optic cables - across key areas of the National Mall. Comments are being accepted online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/TelecomPlanNama through Nov. 6. 
 
Called the National Mall Telecommunications Infrastructure Plan, the goal of the plan is to identify the minimum amount of infrastructure needed to provide full 5G coverage from all major wireless carriers while protecting the views, character, and historic resources of the park (including the Washington Monument grounds, Lincoln Memorial, Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Constitution Gardens, Jefferson Memorial, East and West Potomac parks, the Tidal Basin, and the Ellipse. The study also offers a consistent framework to guide how future permit requests for telecom projects are reviewed to ensure they align with the National Park Services preservation goals.
 
How to Comment

Comments must be submitted in writing, preferably via an online form on the National Park Service Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. From the project website https://parkplanning.nps.gov/TelecomPlanNama), navigate to the 'Open for Comment' menu on the left-hand side and open the 'National Mall Telecommunications Infrastructure Plan' folder. Click the green 'Comment Now' button to access the online form.
 
Alternatively, comments may be submitted via U.S. mail to:
 
Tammy Stidham
National Park Service
1100 Ohio Drive, SW
Washington, DC 20242
ATTN: National Mall Telecommunications
 
Comments must be submitted online or postmarked by November 6 to be considered. Please be aware that all comments - including personally identifiable information (PII) such as your address, phone number, and email address - may be made publicly available. Requests to withhold such PII will be considered but cannot be guaranteed.

Document Content:

2025 September - Telecommunications Infrastructure Plan   (7.8 MB, PDF file) Appendix - Minimum Build Out Study - April 2025   (11.0 MB, PDF file) Disclaimer: Links within the above document(s) were valid as of the date published. Note: Some of the files may be in PDF format and can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat Reader software. You may download a free copy of from Adobe Systems.