2011-08

To Ensure that Puerto Rico Receives Sufficient Universal Service Support for Broadband Deployment

Pichardo (RI) Introduced Nov. 19 Annual Meeting (Ratified)

Short Title: PR USF

WHEREAS,Section 254(b) of the Communications Act requires that Puerto Rico and other insular areas receive sufficient funding to support ubiquitous broadband and telecommunications deployment; and

WHEREAS, the FCC recognized in its Seventh Broadband Deployment Report that nearly three-fourths of the population of Puerto Rico remains unserved by broadband at speeds of 3 Mbps downstream and 768 kbps upstream compared with just 8% of the population of all U.S. states and territories; and

WHEREAS, the high costs of serving an insular area combined with the exceedingly poor population on the island make deployment of broadband in Puerto Rico generally uneconomic in most areas without federal funding; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, the FCC committed “to ensure that high-quality voice and broadband services are available in insular areas”; and

WHEREAS, the FCC is proposing to redistribute its existing “high cost” Universal Service Fund support through a new Connect America Fund to support broadband deployment in unserved areas throughout the country; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the FCC must ensure that the Connect America Fund distribute to Puerto Rico is adequate and sufficient to insure Puerto Rico is able to achieve full broadband deployment and adoption.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Puerto Rico continues to receive funds adequate and sufficient to insure Puerto Rico is able to achieve full broadband deployment and adoption until broadband and telephone subscribership on the island are on par with that of the rest of the nation.
THIS RESOLUTION WAS ADOPTED BY NHCSL AND RATIFIED AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING HELD IN FAJARDO, PUERTO RICO NOVEMBER 19TH, 2011.

Sponsored By: Senator Juan M. Pichardo (RI)
Representative Joseph E. Miró (DE)
Senator Eduardo Bhatia (PR)