Puerto Rico Sees Long Recovery Road Ahead for Communications Networks

Puerto Rican telco and media industry groups paint a grim picture of communications on the island after Hurricane Maria, with indications full resumption could be a long way off. Some said the FCC's information collection system continues (see 1709270061) struggling. Chairman Ajit Pai is proposing that carriers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands be allowed quicker use of their USF allocations for network rebuilding.

Puerto Rico “is like Hiroshima," said Puerto Rico Radio Broadcast Association Executive Director José Ribas. Lack of power, broken broadcast towers, intermittent access to communications and blocked roads mean no one is sure how many broadcasters are off-air, but Ribas said it’s a lot, vastly more than the FCC believes. Since the Disaster Information Reporting is voluntary and largely accessed through the internet, few downed stations could inform the commission of their status, Ribas said. An FCC spokesman said the agency is aware that many broadcasters can’t report, and may supplement its reporting with information gathered on the ground.

Ribas is concerned the lack of clarity about how many broadcasters are down will lead to an insufficient FCC response. “If they don’t get the right information, how will they know what we need?” he said. The FCC response has been helpful, said Fletcher Heald broadcast attorney Frank Montero, who represents the association. He credited the FCC with relaxing some rules for Puerto Rico broadcasters and working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to get a waiver for regulations that were making it harder to get the diesel fuel needed for generators.

The FCC focus on the internet for filings and payments could be a problem for Puerto Rico broadcasters or others affected by future disasters, Ribas said. Though the FCC created a simplified system to allow broadcasters there to request an extension to pay regulatory fees, the agency still requires such payments to be made over the internet, and won’t accept checks. Maria forced Puerto Rico “back to the basics,” Ribas said. “If we don’t have the internet anymore, and they won’t take a check, what the hell are we going to do?”

The broadcast association is attempting to survey the extent of the damage to broadcasting, but Ribas has no hard numbers. Because of spotty communications, the status of many broadcasters can only be gauged in person, Montero noted. Broadcasters closer to San Juan are believed to have better access to power and supplies. Many broadcasters have generators, but have only limited fuel for them, Ribas said. Broadcasters with fuel are operating on reduced hours to conserve their limited supply, said Montero. Even those that are operating are likely serving a reduced contour, because towers were damaged or destroyed, “bent like pipe cleaners,” Montero said. “This is going to take months,” Ribas said.

FCC Help 'Not Enough'

The Puerto Rico Telecommunications Industry Alliance asked President Donald Trump recently to assist the recovery efforts. It said Pai was helpful in obtaining an EPA waiver for emergency power plants: "But that is not enough." Trump visited Puerto Rico Tuesday. The White House and Luis Romero, the alliance official who wrote the letter, didn't comment.

Claro said "personnel and brigades" are working to restore service, with hospitals, banks, gas stations and supermarkets prioritized. Known as Puerto Rico Telephone and owned by America Movil, the island's top telecom carrier had a "robust contingency plan" and an emergency operating center, said spokeswoman Ileana Molina-Bachman. Friday, 52 of 78 municipalities had links to wireline voice, data and long-distance services, but many customers may not have access due to damaged last-mile networks, she said. On the wireless side, about 380,000 Claro customers -- including 48 percent in San Juan -- were able to get a signal Tuesday, said a company release. That was up from 310,000 Thursday. Some Claro facilities are providing emergency internet access and its undersea cable is working normally, the company said.

Senate and House Commerce Committee leaders said they're monitoring the communications infrastructure outages. House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., told us she's scheduling a briefing on the outages before considering any further steps. Senate Commerce doesn't have any briefings scheduled, “but we are always open to and interested in suggestions in ways that we can help play a role in bringing some assistance” to Puerto Rico, said Chairman John Thune, R-S.D. “That's primarily focused on some of the emergency efforts being made by FEMA and other agencies, but if there's a role for the Commerce Department to play, we'll look for it.”

Cable ISP Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico said it's making progress on infrastructure restoration, with personnel in the Mayaguez area rebuilding a fiber ring and a number of fiber lines having been restored. It said it set up free Wi-Fi hot spots in several public spaces, with plans to add more. It activated a joint line and construction technicians brigade plan to restore services as soon as possible in areas where there is power. Caribbean Cable & Telecommunications Association Executive Director Andrea Martin hadn't heard from any Puerto Rican member companies and didn't know the state of operations.

Pai's Plan

Under a proposed order, carriers could use USF high-cost program funds for network repair work, Pai said. Carriers also could get seven months of USF funding in advance, the chairman said, adding as much as $76.9 million would be made available for wireless and wireline network repairs. Pai hopes to have the order on the Oct. 24 open meeting agenda (see 1710030059), if not voted on sooner. AT&T in a statement said it “appreciate[s] the FCC's efforts to facilitate rebuilding the communications infrastructure” in Maria-hit areas.

One of the big problems cited by communications providers has been the massive hit to the electric grid that knocked out power to the entire island. Spokespeople for the electric utility associations said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was overseeing power restoration. The corps didn’t comment Tuesday.

Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said at a news conference Tuesday that power is being restored, but very slowly and to vital facilities like hospitals first. Monday, about 5 percent of lines in Puerto Rico had power. The government also has focused on restoring power to ports, airports and 911 call centers, Rosselló said. He warned that within a month, only 25 percent of power infrastructure is likely to be restored. FEMA officials said the Corps of Engineers installed 22 large portable generators and another 10 installations are in progress, with an additional 143 ready to be installed, and 304 en route.