FCC chair in PR to evaluate telecom needs, recovery
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (Credit: FCC)
Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai will be in Puerto Rico this week to “evaluate and analyze” how the regulatory agency can continue collaborating in the recovery work related to the island’s telecommunications services, Telecommunications Regulatory Board President Sandra Torres confirmed.
“With 70.5 percent of cellular telephony activated and almost 50 percent of functional antennas across the island, the TRB welcomes this visit as a sign of the commitment of the FCC and Commissioner Pai to serve as facilitator in the total recovery of telecom on the island,” she said.
The FCC has been keeping close tabs on Puerto Rico since Hurricane María made landfall on Sept. 20, responding to the destruction of communications networks on the island. On Oct. 5, the agency approved advancing up to $76.9 million to help local telecom companies restore service, as this media outlet reported.
Today, she will meet with Pai and telecom company representatives to provide a detailed update on the state of the infrastructure after Hurricane María struck, and the collaborative efforts that have enabled rebuilding the network, despite the lack of power in some parts of the island.
“We will continue to serve as a liaison between telecom companies and state and federal government agencies in our efforts to achieve the connectivity that more than 3 million Puerto Ricans deserve and are accustomed to having,” said Torres.
