WASHINGTON—The FCC has responded swiftly to Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal of advancing funds to communications networks devastated by Hurricane Maria in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In a unanimous vote, the FCC will provide up to $76.9 million to help restore service in impacted areas.
With the vote, the FCC will immediately provide up to seven months’ worth of support from the Universal Service Fund, which helps lower the cost of deploying service in areas that are costly to serve. The funds that are taken from this action will be used to repair telecommunications infrastructure and restore service to customers across the islands.
The FCC staff will help coordinate network repair activities.
