Pai Hints at Possible New USF Support for Puerto Rico, Meets With Liberty Cablevision
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai suggested Puerto Rico may need even more USF support to help the island recover from 2017 hurricanes. Pai noted $117 million in additional short-term funding support already allocated, plus $700 million in long-term support proposed in…
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an NPRM, most of it existing funding repurposed for specific broadband deployment, with a competitive mechanism contemplated to allocate additional support. "The Fund would make available at least $100 million in new funding for Puerto Rico to rebuild and restore communications networks damaged in last year's storms -- with most of that new funding going to rebuilding the wireline networks," he responded to Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, R-Puerto Rico (exchange), posted Wednesday in docket 18-5. "I appreciate that additional support beyond this $100 million increase may well be necessary to rebuild, improve, and expand service in Puerto Rico." Pai, aides and other FCC officials met with Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico CEO Naji Khoury and other executives, who explained their company's use of "Stage 1" funding and proposals for additional funding, particularly its "support for allocating the majority of Stage 2 funding for new deployment through a competitive bidding process at the census block group level."